When The Icicle Melts
by Salina M L
Summary: [Edwin, Royai] After the war between Shamballa and Earth, Ed and Al must finish what they've started before they can think about returning, but change is inevitable. Now others are living out the phrase that Ed constantly preached about, especially Winry.
1. The Prelude

**When The Icicle Melts**

**By Salina M L**

This story has been written and edited by me. However, I do have two partners in crime, just in case… you know.

_**Alpha: Myself, of course  
Beta: Tashi-san  
Gamma: Belle Sapphire**_

_This fan fiction is dedicated to all who have been faced with a difficult past. No matter who they are: good_…

… _or evil._

**"The Prelude"**

**Author's Note: **Alright people, I have finally gotten my act together and I am finally posting my first fan fiction on this website. So it seems fitting that my first one should be on Fullmetal Alchemist. However, I am using this chapter to clear up some things and talk about what to expect. So you can skip it if you want, but I suggest you don't because the prelude and summary are here as well, just as the title says. And if you don't read them, you _might_ get confused later, and nobody wants that.

**Now, here are a few things to expect and some other information…**

**Warning: **This fan fic will contain spoilers from the Anime and the movie, Conqueror of Shamballa, and everything that has happened in both the series and the movie have occurred. Just letting all of you know.

One other warning: this will be full of _extreme_ angst. I almost question putting it on this website because of certain things that can't be posted due to rules and regulations, as I'm sure you are aware. However, I think this one will be fine. So if you don't like angst or if this somehow offends you, please don't read it. I don't want to be flamed just because of certain content and material. Because it is rated **M** for a reason.

And that is your only warning.

**Main Pairings:**

Edward x Winry  
Roy x Riza (in later chapters. I just can't resist putting a bit of this in my first fic)

Rest assured, there will be other shaded romances.

**Story takes place about two years after the movie, so the starting ages are:**

Edward: 21  
Winry: 21  
Alphonse: technically he is 20, but his body is 15  
Roy: 35  
Riza: 31

So without further delay, let's get started already…

**Prelude: **After the Elric brothers' departure to the other side of the gate, Winry Rockbell returned to Resembool to live with her Grandmother Pinako and Den. After a month, Rose and her son went back to Lior, and the newly promoted Brigadier General Armstrong returned to Central.

For the first few months in the following year, Winry was at a loss. With the execution of her parents when she was a little girl, the recent death of the only person she could have considered the little brother she was supposed to have, followed by the disappearance of the Elric brothers off the face of Shamballa. Not surprising to anyone with a shred of humanity, she was devastated.

However, she didn't stay that way for long. She finally decided that she was sick of crying. It never did any good anyway, it just made her appear weak. So she was able to get back on her feet and move forward, following the almost famous sentence which so easily came from Ed's mouth in the moment, and one that would constantly run through her mind.

So life did go back to normal, even if it was only for a little while…

During the first year, Winry was working on automail orders with her Granny Pinako, as well as hanging out with her childhood friend, Nelly. Pretty normal would you say? Well not from Winry Rockbell's point of view. That year was a little more than life changing for her, to say the least…

It was sure an eventful year, going from bad to worse. By the end of the first year, Granny Pinako had died of old age, sleeping peacefully in her bed. The funeral was held a week after, and everyone in Resembool attended out of respect for the wise old woman. Then to make matters worse, Winry's beloved dog, Den died of the same cause. The village men, feeling obligated to the young female mechanic for her automail work and occasionally giving them a discount on the price, helped get a headstone for Den and buried him in Resembool Graveyard next to Granny Pinako, who was resting next to Winry's parents.

So, Winry is all alone in the world, and Ed doesn't know what's happened. However she doesn't cry, she can't anymore. Her emotions have been spent on the countless times she tried caring for the brothers she treasured so much.

Instead, she leaves her past behind and tries to look for her own purpose. One that didn't involve reliving the same nightmares that plagued her mind, until…

Someone from her recent past had been looking for her. For what reason? Not even this person is quite sure at this point. Nevertheless, they did find her in a mountain town on the outskirts of Amestris and offered her a place to stay...

**Summary: **It has been almost two years since the war in Central. With the combined efforts of Edward and Alphonse on Earth, and Roy in Shamballa, the gateway between the two worlds was destroyed. Therefore, preventing any passage between the two worlds… or was it…?

**Last Author's Note: **It's probably obvious by this point, but this fic is post-series, and post-movie. Well, post-everything in FMA to put it bluntly. So if you don't want to be exposed to _major _spoilers from the series and the movie, avert your eyes!

Other than that, enjoy the story, and review if you so choose.

Alright, I've talked and rambled enough. So let's get on with it…

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. Not the Manga, the Anime, the movie, the four OVA episodes, any of the songs that play for the opening and closing credits, or anything else associated with it. Any and all original characters and original locations belong to me. 


	2. Prologue: To a Past That Will Not Let Go

**When The Icicle Melts**

**A/N: **Now it begins, the prologue will reveal some of the hidden thoughts and feelings Ed and Winry have throughout their childhood memories to the present time. In other words, when it all began. It'll be the same story, but in both POVs.

**Prologue: "To a Past That Will Not Let Go"**

**_…Winry's POV…_**

Ed… when I think back to how long we've known each other, I can't help but chuckle. We've known each other practically since we came out of our mothers. Sounds wrong, huh? Our mothers; Trisha and Sara, were best friends since they were children as well, so our families were destined to be close. Ed is about six months older than me, so he was there when I was born.

He was in the waiting room with his mom and dad. Granny Pinako once told me that when I was born I wouldn't stop crying, and I didn't stop until Ed and his parents were finally able to come in and see me.

Ed was the first in the room, and he ran, as best he could, straight to the bed where my mom was holding me. I stopped to look at him with tears still in my eyes. Apparently, we were staring at each other for at least five minutes. Granny called it a silent greeting in a form of child telepathy, but who knows with kids?

Granny and our parents just stood there looking at us without a word until Ed broke into his famous trademark grin for the first time. He then wiped away my tears and started stroking my head while giggling. I then joined him in the blissful act, soon followed by our parents and even Granny. Then mom let him hold me because it looked like he wanted to, as long as he sat in a chair so he wouldn't fall over.

It's funny, from the time our parents found out I was a girl, they paired Ed and I together in all activities. We were rarely apart, even as infants.

A little over a year later, Ed's little brother, Alphonse was born. Ed and his dad were in the delivery room with Auntie Trisha until her water broke, then Ed was forced to stay with us in the waiting room. When the doctor came out and told my parents and Granny that it was okay to go in and see the new baby, Ed was the first to go charging into Auntie Trisha's room. I of course, followed closely behind.

When I got there, Ed was by his mother's side and his dad was on the other. I ran over to Ed and he grinned at me. I looked down and saw baby Al in Auntie Trisha's arms. Aw, he was so cute, I wanted to squeeze him and never let go. I couldn't help but feel like I was getting a little brother too.

When the three of us were growing up we were inseparable. We really were the ultimate trio. Ed always acted as my older brother, even though he was just my best friend. Nobody dared to mess with me when he was around, and if they did, well... let's just say they ended up with a sufficient amount of bruises and sometimes even broken bones. Yeah, he was a little overprotective of me.

Then there was Al, who acted as my younger brother. He wasn't as tough as his older brother, but he supplied me with a different type of comfort: moral support. Not that Ed wasn't supportive, he just didn't know how to act when I cried and generally said something to make it worse. But with Al, even for the stupid things he would comfort me. Like when this dog came from nowhere and started barking at us. After we got away from it I started crying, and Al told me it was okay while stroking my back and giving me a reassuring smile.

The Elric brothers really are alike yet so unlike each other.

I remember the time I walked in on them while they were fighting and yelling profanities that they shouldn't have known at their age. There would have been serious consequences for them if Auntie Trisha had found out, but she was out grocery shopping. I marched over to them and yelled at them to stop, it was always something with those two, all their fights always led to punches.

They stopped when they realized it was me, they both looked so embarrassed. I took matters into my own hands and ordered them to go sit at the kitchen table while I went to fetch the first-aid kit. After I patched them up I asked them what they had been fighting about.

Before I knew it they were both at each of my sides holding the hand present and shouting in perfect unison. **"Win-chan, will you marry me?"** I could tell that Ed was pissed right off because Al used 'his' name for me.

Then he yelled at Al. "She likes me more! I'm cuter, smarter and I'm older!" Then Al countered with. "No, she likes me more! I'm sensitive, sweeter, and caring. Who cares if you're older?!"

I don't think Al realized the irony of saying that he's more caring but still adding 'who cares if you're older.'

By this point I'd heard enough, I told them that I wouldn't marry either of them because Al's younger than me and more like a brother. And I wouldn't marry Ed because he's too short. With that I stormed off and didn't talk to either of them for a week. Secretly though, I didn't mind them fighting over me, but who wouldn't?

But the happiness wasn't meant to last. Soon everything was taken away from us. As doctors, my parents were on call, and forced to go assist the military in the war against Ishbal. The last thing I got concerning my parents, was a letter stating that they had been killed in their line of duty. No answers to how, when, or why.

That was when Ed was there for me for the first time, he helped me through the whole ordeal when he found me in our secret spot in, what I like to call, the Sacred Forest. He held me as I cried out every tear that I had onto his chest. He didn't say anything, he just kept stroking my head. I guess he really was there for me, when it really counted.

Then fate turned its mocking eye on my best friends and took their mother from them. I knew they were planning something when Ed told me they were going off to train with their new sensei.

Granny Pinako and I didn't even know they were back until one stormy night, a suit of armour carrying an unconscious Ed, covered from head to toe in blood, burst through our front door. It was quite a sight to behold, to see one of my childhood friends without a body. Regardless, I wasted no time and rushed to get the medical supplies even before Granny Pinako could blink.

When Ed awoke, he said that he wanted us to equip him with automail so he could fix what he had done by becoming a State Alchemist so he could have access to the information he needed.

I knew it, he had heard what that military man from the other night said.

Before I knew it, one evening while the sun was still setting, I smelt smoke. I rushed outside with Granny Pinako in tow to see that the brothers had burned down their house, well more than likely Ed was the catalyst of that act.

They were leaving, I knew it would happen eventually, it just happened sooner than I thought and _hoped_.

Almost a year later, I got a letter from Ed saying that he had passed the State Alchemist exam. I was so happy for him that I decided to go surprise him and Al by showing up in Central unannounced.

Big mistake.

It turned into one of the worst nightmares of our lives with me being held hostage, and this psychopath by the name of Barry the Chopper trying to slice my friend to ribbons. I was so scared, I couldn't do anything to help him, I had never felt so helpless in my life…

Finally, the nightmare ended when Al and some other military officers showed up. A woman named Riza Hawkeye had a blanket draped over my shoulders and was squeezing my shoulders reassuringly while I was being questioned by a man named Roy Mustang on the events that occurred, something I never wanted to relive.

At one moment, I glanced over to where Ed and Al were sitting, and I saw it, something he didn't even do at Auntie Trisha's funeral. Ed was crying and not lightly.

So I guess for me, it all started when Ed and I were twelve years old. At that moment, I couldn't help but cry with and for him. When it dawned on me. All of our childhood history, the tragedies in our short lives, and the horrible things that he and Al must have seen that got them to this point. I knew from that point on, no matter what, I would always be bound to them both and try to help them in any way that I could.

Even when they pushed me away, it hurt so much. But deep down, I knew they were just trying to protect me. However, I wish that if they won't tell me anything, someone else would. I'd give anything for that bit of relief just to know what goes on.

I know it's wrong, but I do love them both, but my heart yearns for Ed more, it's just something about him that gives me

_Because no matter how hard I try to move forward, the emotions I tried to suppress always brought me back to one person… Edward._

**_…Edward's POV…_**

Winry… has it really been that long? We've known each other since birth and now we're young adults. Time really flew by now that I think about it.

I remember once my mother told me about the day Winry was born. I didn't really want to listen, because I had the feeling that the talks about 'where babies come from' and 'the birds and bees' were soon to come. I still get chills thinking about when I first learned about 'that.' Give me a break, I was frickin' eight years old. I know they're all laughing at me especially about my… lack of growth…

Anyway, Winry's birth… I vaguely remember alot of screaming coming from the delivery room that sounded an awful lot like Auntie Sarah, which made me nervous. But my mother held me on her lap while stroking my head reassuringly. She told me that I was going to get someone to play with.

I didn't really understand what she was saying, but something told me that it was a good thing.

Finally, the nurse came out and told us that it was a healthy baby girl and that we could go in and see her. I immediately jumped off my mother's lap and half ran, half crawled into Auntie Sarah's room. When I got there I went straight to the bedside to see my new soon-to-be best friend.

My mother told me that when I got there I just stared into baby Winry's eyes for the longest time. She had been crying but stopped when I got there. I still have no idea to this day what was going on in my head. But there we were, looking into each other's eyes, the gateway to the soul.

Finally I felt satisfied with what I saw and started stroking her head while giggling. I was soon followed by everyone, even baby Winry. Then Auntie Sarah let me hold her while sitting in a chair because I wasn't big enough to hold her while standing. Eventually Winry fell asleep in my arms.

I always looked forward to the days when our families would visit, but why did our parents always pair us together? Not that I ever complained.

A while after that, my mother told me that she was pregnant, and that I was going to get a little brother or sister. I remember responding with. "But I already have a little sister." Give me a break! I was only one and I didn't know that there is a difference between a blood sibling and a best friend. My mother laughed a bit and pulled me into an embrace and told me that what I was getting was a person who I would share a special, undefined type of bond with that is different from the one I have with Winry-chan. I still didn't get it, but nevertheless, I took my mother's word for it.

Then came the day of my little brother's birth, I will always remember that day. I was sitting in the waiting room next to Winry, her parents and Auntie Pinako were there too while my dad was with my mother. I could hear her screaming and it felt like a dagger had pierced through my heart. Winry was squeezing my hand reassuringly, which helped alot. I don't think I could've gotten through that without her, I'll have to thank her someday.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, the nurse came and told us that it was okay to go in and see the new baby boy. I tore off for the room with Winry at my heels. When I got there I saw my mother holding a tiny bundle, just like when Winry was born. I remember being so curious about my new baby brother and asking alot of questions. Soon Winry came in and I flashed her my famous grin. I now had a best friend and a little brother. What more could I ask for?

As kids we did everything together. Anyone would have to literally pry us apart, because where one went, the other two followed. I was the oldest so it was up to me to look after the other two. Al never really got picked on and if he did, he held his own just fine. Same went for Winry, but if ever someone did threaten her, well let's just say that they went home crying to their mama with something broken. I got in trouble countless times for those stunts, but it was worth it.

Both Al and I were violent as children, still are now actually. But we wouldn't hesitate to punch each other's lights out whenever we argued. The biggest argument being when we fought countless times on who would get to marry Winry. Al was the one who was less banged up, so I guess he won.

But when Winry found out she was disgusted with us both and told Al that she wouldn't marry him because he's younger and more like her brother, and she said she wouldn't marry me because I was too short. SHORT! That stung, coming from her. After that she didn't speak to either of us for a week. That was one _long_ week.

One thing always bothered me though. She never once came to me for comfort, she _always _went to Al. I know I don't handle situations very well when she's crying, but it's just because I can't stand to see her that way, it hurts me too. So I usually wind up saying something stupid…

But things didn't last. One day we went to go see her and we found out that her parents were dead. I didn't know what to say, so I blurted out some insult to Auntie Pinako, which got us kicked out. But I wasn't going to let it go there, I wanted to believe that Winry needed me, so I went looking for her in our secret forest area. And sure enough there she was, crying. Oh boy. Instead of fleeing the scene like I normally do, I went over to her and held her in my arms. Letting her soak my shirt with her tears. I didn't say anything, but I think she was content with just my presence, for the first time.

Soon it was me and Al's turn to suffer. One day we found our mother on the floor. She was deathly sick, and soon she too passed away. That was the changing point in me and Al's lives. It was time that we focused on our alchemy and nothing else with no time for play or family. That alone proved to be a big mistake…

I remember the night Al and I came home after training with Izumi-sensei, we attempted the most forbidden art in all the books of alchemy… _Human Transmutation_. It all seemed to be going so well when suddenly a portal opened up and took my brother away from me. I soon found myself at a gate. 'The Gateway.' I gave up my right arm so I could bring Al's soul back and my left leg to bring mom back. The last thing I remember before passing out was Al in a metal suit that I had attached his soul to, and the putrid looking heap of flesh and pulsing organs that was… our mother.

I was unconscious, but I could feel Winry's presence beside me when I heard the voice of a man I didn't know. He was talking about a way to fix what I had done, I'm sure of it. The only thing that really stuck in my mind was to do this, I had to become a State Alchemist. From that day, that would be my new goal.

When I finally regained consciousness I asked Auntie Pinako to equip me with automail. The only things I can remember during the automail surgery was blinding, excruciating pain that I can't even put into words. But I do remember Winry's voice telling me that it was going to be okay and to stay with them, and I did. It was my desire to fix what I had done to Al and Winry's voice that were my strength through the entire operation.

Finally the day had come for us to leave, I couldn't say goodbye, this just wasn't our home anymore. So Al and I burned down our house to ensure that there was no turning back.

After a long journey and many trials, I passed my State Alchemist exam. I was so excited I had to tell Winry all about it. The following day I was told that I had a visitor. What shocked me was to find a screw that I knew belonged to Winry. Shock was easily overcome by panic when I remembered what the recent serial killer liked to do to young women, and the tire tracks in front of HQ were enough evidence for me. But I couldn't loose my mind over this, that wouldn't help save Winry.

The events soon transpired into one of my worst nightmares to this day. I thought for sure that I was going to lose Winry when the serial killer known as Barry the Chopper held her hostage, threatening to slaughter her right in front of my eyes. I can't even describe the type of fear I felt, I thought I was going to die, I thought Winry as going to as well, and I couldn't do anything. I completely lost myself and even hit Al when he and the military showed up…

After that, I was sitting with Al while Winry was being questioned by Lieutenant Colonel Mustang and First Lieutenant Hawkeye. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Couldn't they see that she had been through enough already? At that moment I started crying, again. First it was Nina now this. I almost failed protecting someone else.

I am so sick of everything in this ludicrous world, where a child can't even trust their own father, I've had enough…

Ever since the 'Barry the Chopper incident' I've looked at Winry differently. I'm not sure what it is I feel, but she's more than just a plain childhood friend and automail mechanic to me. So that's why I had to keep her out of the fray and in the dark at any cost, even if it meant that she would hate me.

She should hate me, and so should Al. After all that I've put them through, it's bad enough that Al is always in danger. I can't risk everything I have left. I know that if anything were to happen to her, I might kill myself…

_Because no matter how hard I try to move forward, the emotions I tried to suppress always brought me back to one person… Winry._

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. 


	3. Chapter 1: To Move Forward in Life Alone

**When The Icicle Melts**

Love… it is such a simple four letter word.

So why is it such a complicated subject?

_Love is defined as a mutual feeling of care and affection that can only be held together by two individuals' trust. The emotion cannot endure without a firm belief in the honesty, reliability, and being able to forgive the mistakes of the other._

Many believe that love is just the longing to be with someone they feel strongly about. But love is more complex than that. A feeling of devotion and trust from both sides of the relationship is essential, and it needs to be built over a period of time. Without these, the only thing that individual is feeling is lust or the longing to fill an empty void in their heart.

In any case, that individual is being selfish.

The best object to symbolize love with is a red rose. The velvety blood red pedals resemble that of the human heart, the place where the feeling of love is stored.

_You lean down to examine the rose more closely and you catch a whiff of its fragrance. You can't help but want to hold it, so you grab it from its resting place without really thinking about the consequences of such a bold move. No sooner had you grabbed it that there is now blood trickling down your wrist caused by the thorns protruding from the stem's surface._

The rose also stands for the pain love can bring, if you don't take your time and think your actions through carefully, that feeling of trust will turn into the bitter one of betrayal.

_For trust can be portrayed as a weakness if betrayal is its' bane._

However, you don't feel betrayed, because the rose is a symbol of your love, and a crucial part of love is forgiveness. So you handle the rose gently this time, ignoring the earlier wound, because it only serves as a reminder of a past mistake.

Now you look to the future.

_The path of life is intangible. How can one help but feel that it is all for naught when everyday their bond with the one they love is tested? It just won't end._

_But one day in the near future, when it is all said and done, you will look back and see those challenges as mere bumps on the road and wonder; did you pay enough for the life you have now?_

_The endless hardships you faced in the past, the prosperous future that awaits you. Isn't that your… equivalent exchange?_

**Chapter 1: "To Move Forward in Life... Alone"**

_I fell on my knees onto the freezing cement, completely overwhelmed by both emotional and mental exhaustion. All of which were moulded together into one internal wound that would most likely serve to deepen the bitterness in my already heavy heart for years to come. _

_I was shaking terribly, about the time when I would've started to cry. However, I couldn't shed even one tear. But why? What should have been me wracking with sobs was in reality me looking up at my tormentors with glazed eyes. I shook the surge of emotions out of my body as best I could and tried to ignore the blinding pain burdening my every movement from the physical wound. _

_With shaky hands at the gruesome knowledge of a foreign object in my body, I reached down towards my chest and gripped the handle of a small knife protruding from my skin's surface and in one fluid motion, yanked the blade out. _

_Looking down at my chest, I could make out a small slit of dark blood trailing down my clothes just above my left breast. Where the heart resides, how fitting. Perplexed, I placed my hand over it in wonder of how I, a human, could have survived with such an injury._

_Only one with an immortal life could... _

_I had grown accustomed to this, every so often in one of the mountain towns I found on the outskirts of Amestris, I would be attacked at night by men who were either just disgusting or drunk. That's the problem with a lone woman travelling in secluded towns. The laws of the state aren't exactly enforced, which is an open invitation to criminals and assorted others._

_I felt a hand grip my chin tightly and yank it up, forcing me to look into one of the men's eyes. Still clutching the knife, I wished that I had the fortitude to drive it through him. But the idea soon passed and I released the blade, letting it fall to the ground._

_I was once again pulled from my thoughts when he grabbed me by the collar and pulled me up and off the ground to his level._

_He sneered at me. "Having fun… little bitch?" I felt like heaving right there. Not because of that stupid question, but because the man's breath was putrid, it smelt strongly of Whiskey, and his speech was slurred. He was definitely drunk, and so were the other two, judging by the way their steps were quite a bit off balance._

_I turned my gaze to meet his eyes for a second and what I saw disgusted me... _

_Lust. _

_I had seen this look in the eyes of other men during my travels. Their eyes tracing and memorizing every curve on my body in detail. From my face to my breasts, around my waist, even down to my feet. Strange men. However, this look was different, it was predatory lust. This look said that this man would do whatever pleased him and would stop at nothing._

_My eyes veered to the side to see the same look in the other mens' eyes. I knew what they were planning to do with me. But I wasn't scared, in fact my face was calm and expressionless, my eyes showed no sign of fear, and I didn't even make a sound. This would not do at all, as far as these three men were concerned._

_"What's wrong with you, wench?" The second man yelled as he walked over and slapped me across the face. One of his fingernails caught my right cheek, and now it too was bleeding. But I didn't even blink. _

_**'My... this isn't like you...'** A low, but painfully familiar voice echoed in my head._

_It was right. I drew my right foot back and kicked the man holding me as hard as I could in the groin. He instantly dropped me and I fell to my knees once again. He collapsed as well and hurled, because of the pain or alcohol, I couldn't be certain. _

_I began to crawl away, I couldn't even attempt to stand due to my injuries, when the third man stopped me with his foot pressed against my back before removing it and flipping me over. I had never been fully taken advantage of by any of these random village men, someone or something always stopped it, but it looked like this time I wouldn't be so fortunate. As I prepared myself for the violation the deafening snap of a gunshot rang out._

_I looked past the guy and saw that the man who had slapped me had a bullet embedded in his chest. Whomever it belonged to was definitely a crack shot, I couldn't even see them yet. The first man had already fled the scene, soon followed by the one who was intent on having his way with me. _

_I sat up and remained there for a moment, listening to the rapid foot steps of the one who had saved me getting closer..._

_**"Winry! Are you alright?"**_

_I froze. I couldn't see who it was yet, but I hadn't heard my name spoken for so long. In fact, the last person who said my name was…_

_I shuddered, preferring not to think about who it was._

_**'What's wrong...? If you're afraid... don't stay...'** _

_Once again listening to that smooth voice, I jumped up and bolted before I could see my saviour's face. I didn't want to see anyone I may have once known. _

_It was difficult for me to run. I was wearing a dark maroon dress with long sleeves, and a high collar. The length of it was long and stopped a few inches down my calves with a small slit on either side. The top of it was snug, hugging my chest, but the bottom flowed out like a peasant dress. _

_Underneath, I wore a pair of tight, black, cotton pants and I wore my hair down but still well cared for. As for shoes, well... I wasn't wearing any. _

_A woman running a small clothing shop had given them to me after the cloths I left my home in got ruined. There was still a bit of charitable kindness left in some people. However, the clothes were now tattered and covered in blood from past assaults. _

_The only thing I had left from my home was a simple gold pendant with a blue sapphire on a small yet posh silver chain. It was my_ _mother's pendant, and I always wear it now._

_I ran for what felt like forever. Thunder started to rumble and the rain had returned and was now pouring down hard causing my open wounds to sting like hell. I had a deep gash across my chest that started on my left shoulder and stretched downward across my breast narrowly missing my right nipple, and a smaller one down my right arm. There was also the newly aquired one over my heart. The blood was still seeping, and pus was starting to materialize. I was afraid that if I didn't get it cleaned it would turn into a severe case of blood poisoning or Gangrene. _

_But I still forced myself to keep running ignoring the bone numbing pain that coursed throughout my body with every step. I had no idea where I was, just another random town on the border of Amestris that wasn't even big enough to be put on the map, but who cares? Well, I might have at one time, but I've been on my own like this for six months, what do I have to care about? I have nobody..._

_I turned a corner into an alley and tripped over some debris, banging my chin on the cement. I reached up and gripped onto the nearest wall with my fingertips, digging my nails into the coarse surface not caring that they too were bleeding until I couldn't ignore the pain any longer. I felt like screaming in agony, but instead it came out as an exasperated groan. The pain was excruciating, I felt like my entire body had been shattered._

_I pulled myself into a sitting position with my back leaning up against the wall. I wrapped my arms around my knees and brought them up to my chest burying my face in my knees. _

_I stayed that way, lost in my thoughts for barely a minute when…_

_"Winry…"_

_I recognized that voice, it was the same person who had saved me. They must have been following me the whole time. I looked up into the familiar eyes of a person I had indeed once known, standing right in front of me._

_"… I know your face…" My voice choked out. I hadn't spoken in so long, too long._

_The person smiled at me and crouched down to my level. "Why did you run from me? I have been looking for you for five months now… are you afraid of me?"_

_I screwed up my face in confusion. Five months? A month after I went missing? Word sure travels fast._

_"Why are you here?" My voice had finally recovered._

_"I told you. I've been looking for you."_

_"But why? We were never really close or anything."_

_"I know… but I felt obligated to you since the war in Lior, after the gate was closed." I cringed when they said 'gate.' I always do when someone mentions that word. It always reminded me of… Edward…_

_"I don't know why you wanted to leave Resembool…" The person started as they turned to sit by my side against the wall, their blue military uniform already soaked from the rain. "And I don't know what you must be feeling, having lost the rest of your family." I didn't respond, so they continued. "But I do know that I want to help you. I once told myself that if you were ever left alone, I would take care of you."_

_"… but why would you do that?"_

_"After the military's visit to Resembool, I started to get to know you, and the smart, strong willed and beautiful girl you are." I smiled at this compliment, I hadn't genuinely smiled for a long time. It was nice._

_"So I'm keeping my word..." They continued. "Why don't you come back home with me? There are so many who have been worried sick about you, not just myself." I was surprised, but then again, I did make alot of friends in Central._

_"I still don't understand why you want to help me so badly, let alone want me to live with you…"_

_The person turned to look at me for the first time during our conversation, their bronze eyes shimmering with compassion. "Other than what I already said, I don't really know, it's just an instinct..." I didn't question them any further. _

_Instinct… is just something I can't question._

_The storm had finally passed, and the stars were starting to poke their heads out between the parting clouds. Which suited my change in mood quite well. We both got up, and I started to follow my new companion until I felt a sharp pain deep in my chest. I clutched my chest and collapsed to my knees. _

_The person rushed to my side. "Winry! Are you alright? Say something, Winry!" I had already passed out from blood loss, and my body had gone numb, but I could still hear them calling my name and shaking my shoulders, except gradually, it started to feel so real…_

_**...End of Dream, or nightmare if you will (Winry's POV)...**_

"Winry… wake up, it's just a dream."

I finally opened my sapphire eyes to have them meet with the bronze ones of Riza Hawkeye. Her hands were still on my shoulders along with a worried expression on her stern yet gentle face.

"... what time is it?" I asked, trying to adjust my eyes to the early morning light.

"Just a little after six in the morning." She said while removing her hands from my shoulders and sitting back. She was seated on the side of my bed next to me. I propped myself up on my elbows and raised myself into a sitting position.

"Winry… you're drenched in sweat again, I know you were having another of your nightmares again, but you never tell me what they're about. Please tell me…"

She's right, I was having another one of my nightmares. I either dream about the days Granny Pinako and Den died, when Ed and Al left me again, the time I was with... _him_, or…

"… I dreamt about the night you found me in that mountain town… and everything that happened before you came…" I trailed off. Riza didn't say anything, but there was understanding in her eyes while she seemed deep in thought. I had no idea what she was thinking about, but it didn't really matter to me.

There was silence for a few minutes, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I really do enjoy the older woman's company. I just can't open up to her or anyone else, not even Gracia-san. There are just some things that I will never tell anyone, or so I thought at this moment.

"Well, I'm going to go make breakfast, it's time for me to get up now anyway." She stated as she got up to leave.

My eyes followed her until she left my room, closing the door gently behind her. I decided that I should get up too because I was hungry and I always liked having breakfast with Riza.

I left my room, still in my pale violet coloured, cotton pyjamas with my hair in a low braid that I slung over my right shoulder. I'd grown accustomed to wearing my hair in a plait while I slept. It kept the hair out of my face and prevented tangles. I can see why Ed liked them so much.

I had been living with Riza for about a month now. She lives in a regular apartment in Central. I really love her place. It has plenty of room with a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms each with a shower, plenty of storage space, and even a small dining room. Most of all it's _so_ neat and tidy. Well, this is Riza Hawkeye we're talking about. She calls it an average place. I think it's pretty awesome for an apartment, but what do I have to compare? I use to live in a house.

When I got to the kitchen, Riza was preparing breakfast still in her white cotton pyjamas with her hair down. She usually wears her hair down now, the only time she wears it in her trademark style is when she goes to work.

"There's coffee if you want it. I hope I didn't make it too strong for you." I chucked at this, a month has gone by and she still says this.

"That's alright, you know I like it strong, besides I've gotten use to it because you drink it every morning. Let me guess, it's to help stop the temptation of shooting a certain newly promoted General whenever he tries to find new and creative ways to destroy his paperwork?"

Riza smirked while picking up her gun which always seems to be in her reach. "That's why we have these Winry-san, to keep those men in check." At this we both started laughing. We were probably both thinking about the time a few weeks ago when Havoc tried flirting with me and Riza shot at him. Narrowly missing his family jewels causing him to wet himself in front of the other military personnel. Mustang was laughing so hard he almost wet his own pants.

It was then that Black Hayate came out of Riza's room to come see what he'd missed. I went over to him to give him his good morning attention that he always expected from me.

_**...End of Winry's POV (Riza's POV)...**_

I watched as Winry went over to play with Black Hayate. He really does adore the attention she smothers him with.

_'Scratch that, he loves her. To him, she's like a second mama. Just look at the way he rolls around and licks her face. Winry sure knows the sweet spots on a dog.'_

It made me glad that he's still around to keep her company during the day. It must be lonely since she doesn't like to go out unless she comes with me to HQ, which has become much more lately. Which is fine by me, the days go by faster for everyone when she's around.

_'He must remind her so much of Den…' _I thought sadly as I watched her giggle when he tried to knock her over. I remember when I first brought Black Hayate to meet Den on one of the military's trips to Resembool. They got along so well. But even then, Den was getting on in years and Black Hayate was still young. It was only a matter of time…

I went back to making our breakfast. I wasn't much of a cook, but I could make the essentials. Breakfast this morning consisted of scrambled eggs, toast, hash browns, and bacon. Can't eat cereal everyday.

While waiting for the toast I thought about Winry's dream. The night I found her in that town that wasn't even on the map, and what those men were about to do to her. I shivered at the thought, it was a good thing I got there when I did or… well, she and I both know what would have happened.

As for where the rest of the military were concerned, I simply stated that I found her in an uncharted town, but nothing about what might have happened to her, it would have killed… Roy. Not even I know what happened to her since the day she returned to Resembool after the Elric brother's departure, or when she left after her Grandmother and Den passed away…

"Riza-san?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and glanced over at Winry who was looking at me with a smirk. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"What's this? The great Lieutenant General Hawkeye is zoning out? I thought you always told me that it's important to always keep ones' guard up?" She asked sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes and went to sit at the table. "I don't think anyone would come in here, I think they'd be scared of my cooking." At this remark Winry started giggling as she went to sit on the couch.

"Hey, my cooking's not _that_ bad!"

"Really? Then what's the cause of all that black smoke?" She asked while putting her feet up on the coffee table.

I looked over to the toaster and sure enough smoke was seeping through the slits. "Shit!" I cursed as I went over to the smoking appliance and popped the pitch black toast out. Winry was now laughing at my antics while Black Hayate had joined her with his howling.

"Now don't you start." He immediately stopped and skulked back into my bedroom with his tail between his legs. "And as for you…" I turned to the lemon blonde who stopped laughing, also immediately. "You get to eat the burnt toast since you think you're a comedian, and I hate those over promoted media events."

"Ewww." she pouted as she got up to join me at the table.

We ate in silence for the most part. Black Hayate had returned and placed his head on Winry's lap so she tried giving him the burnt toast when she thought I wasn't looking.

"I don't think so." I told her without looking up from the newspaper I was reading. She puffed out her cheeks and went back to pouting in a childish manner while Black Hayate gave me an annoyed look. Afterall, it was still food to him.

At one point, I glanced up from my paper to see that she'd lost her sour attitude and was eating her food with a small smile adorning her features. This made me smile in turn. It seemed like so long since Winry smiled from the day I brought her to Central. I think she just needed reassurance from the others and myself. But she still doesn't show her true emotions, she just keeps everything bottled up, which worries me...

"Hey Riza-san, I guess you're going into work today, right?" She asked out of the blue.

"Yes, I have alot of paperwork to handle and a General to keep in line..." She looked a little sad when I finished. I know she prefers it when she gets to come with me and see everyone. "Would you like to come?" I added.

Her expression changed to that of a child who just received their favourite sweet. "ALRIGHT! I'll go get ready!" She stated happily and sprinted into her room, slamming the door behind her.

I sighed and took a sip of my coffee. _'One thing's for sure, that girl will never lose her spunk.' _I mused as I pet the black and white dog that was now awaiting my attention.

_**...End of Riza's POV (normal POV)...**_

When Winry got to her room she immediately gathered the things she needed to take a shower and went to the bathroom closest to her room. Riza had an ensuite in her own room.

After her shower, Winry grabbed a white towel and wrapped it around herself and began to blow dry her hair and apply some lotion, which smelt sweetly of lilies, to her skin.

While she was brushing her hair she examined her reflection in the giant bathroom mirror.

She really had changed. Her face was now slender and had lost the roundness of a child's, but was still soft making her facial expression delicate.

Her skin was creamy white. No, it was a perfect shade of ivory, almost like her body had been carved from the white substance.

Her hair had grown quite long now. It reached about mid thigh and held a slight wave to it while her ends were still flat and well taken care of. She kept the same tendrils and bangs she had since she was a teenager. Her locks still maintained their pale blonde shade with some of the tresses tinted gold. It always shimmered so brilliantly.

She brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear to almost be blinded by the shimmer of her silver earrings. _'Now those I'll never change.' _She mused to herself.

She hadn't grown much taller in her final growth spurt, still about half an inch shorter than Riza, and her body had filled out nicely. She maintained her small waist and her hips curved out almost gracefully to meet her slender legs.

It had been a little over a month since Riza first brought her to Central so her injuries had healed completely. There weren't any scars except for a small one just above her left breast, the mark caused by the blade one of those men had. It would probably fade in time but until then it would serve as a constant reminder so she would never forget the trials she faced. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

_'Farewell days of my teenage years. It's time to grow up.' _She thought glumly.

But it was her eyes that caught most of her attention. They were slightly narrower and not so wide and innocent as a child's. But they were still full and a vibrant blue like the depths of the ocean. But what disturbed her was that the sparkle that once ignited her eyes had been extinguished. The eyes staring back at her were ones that belonged to a girl who lost something valuable as a child and kept losing until she had nothing left. In fact they were so cold it made her literally shiver on the spot. Each sapphire resembled that of an icicle. She was scared of those lonely orbs.

She grabbed a towel off the rack, wrapped it around herself and returned to her room to get dressed.

She put on a white satin, strapless bra and matching panties, a white t-shirt and the blue military uniform Riza had given her so she would blend in and prevent any questions about why a civilian is in restricted areas at HQ. But by now most knew who Winry was and kept their mouths shut. The outfit was identical to Riza's and she liked the style of it, it definitely wasn't cheap looking.

After changing, she went over to the big mirror on her desk and removed the plait she had put back in after her shower. She put her hair up in a high ponytail with a blue elastic which changed the length to her behind, and put her mother's pendant on so it sat on the outside of the uniform. She then applied a bit of pale pink lipstick.

She smirked to herself. _'I used to hate the idea of painting my face, then again, alot of things have changed, and it's not because I'm an adult. Riza still doesn't wear any makeup.'_

Before Winry left, something poking out of a drawer in her desk caught her attention. She went over and opened the it to reveal an origami sculpture made out of white paper she had made a few years ago. It was an exact replica of a cherry blossom tree she remembers so fondly. She even shaded the part where the cherry blossoms would be with a baby pink crayon making the small piece of art hold a blush tone.

_'I bet Elysia-chan would love this, afterall… I don't need it anymore.' _Winry thought as she tucked the small sculpture into her jacket and left her room.

She met up with Riza who already had her black military coat on and was waiting for Winry holding her identical coat over her elbow. Riza had already gotten ready, cleaned up the kitchen, and fed Black Hayate who was now lying in a patch of sun in the living room, soaking up the sun's rays.

_'Damn she's fast, how does she do it? Such is the life of a military officer, I suppose.' _Winry thought to herself while pulling her coat on. _'I still refuse to call Riza a dog of the military…'_

"Ready to go?" Riza asked as she got her keys out. Winry nodded while giving Black Hayate one last goodbye pet on the head before following Riza out the door.

They went outside to where Riza had her military vehicle parked. It was around seven in the morning and the grass was still dewy and the air was crisp. Autumn was fast approaching. Winry got into the passenger side as Riza started the car. She always rode shotgun with Riza, even when they were giving other military personnel a ride.

The drive was silent, but again, not an uncomfortable one. Winry was leaning on the palm of her hand while gazing out the window at the passing scenery. At one moment Riza looked over towards her and let a flicker of a smile pass.

"What is it?" Winry asked, turning slightly to face her.

"It's nothing." Riza stated monotonously and turned her attention back to the road.

_'She's definitely improving and opening up more. At least she doesn't call me Hawkeye anymore.'_

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **I do not own FMA. 


	4. Chapter 2: My Time is Now

**When The Icicle Melts**

**Chapter 2: "My Time is Now"**

"Are you sure you're going to be alright for the day?" Riza asked as she glanced to the side only to once again catch the blue eyed girl staring off into space. "You don't have to stay at HQ for the entire day. I can take you to Gracia's house on my break. I'm sure Elysia would love to see you again."

Winry snapped out of her train of thought and sat upright, hoping to will away the memories that always seemed to plague her mind. "Um... it's alright. I really don't mind hanging out with the others. Besides, I enjoy watching them tease the hell out of each other with their bets..." Winry stated while fiddling with her fingertips nervously. She hated it when Riza or anyone else caught her daydreaming. "I also have Scieszka and Maria-san to talk to if I get bored. Then again, I'm not sure if I want to hear the bookworm give me another lecture on proper book keeping." She added with a light chuckle.

"… I see…" Riza said quietly, more to herself.

"I'll go see Elysia-chan another day. Unless of course her and Gracia-san come visit us at the base again..." Winry continued as she shifted uncomfortably. "I have something I've been meaning to give to Elysia for awhile now..."

Riza glanced over at her noticing that she was clutching something inside of her jacket. _'I wonder what she means by that...'_

The rest of the drive to HQ was fairly quiet. Except for the odd curse escaping Riza's mouth when other drivers would pull reckless stunts.

Winry felt a small amount of anxiety build up in the pit of her stomach as Riza pulled into a parking space close to HQ. She was excited to see the others again, even though the last time was only a few days ago, yet she was nervous at the same time. Ever since she found out that the Fuhrer himself was a homunculus, and that the entire military was in the hands of the homunculi, she was a little on edge when she saw one of the higher ups. Even though she knew well enough that the former Fuhrer had been killed by Mustang.

Since King Bradley's death, a new Fuhrer needed to be appointed. And since there were no other Generals still alive, other than General Hakuro, he had been given the job, much to Mustang's displeasure.

With Hakuro's rise to power, there had been a number of promotions; Mustang had been made a General, Hawkeye had been promoted to Lieutenant General, still working under Mustang. For his efforts in the war in Lior, and being a reliable soldier for so many years, Armstrong was promoted to Brigadier General. Finally, Havoc was promoted to that of a Colonel.

Winry followed closely by Riza's side as they ascended the stairs to the main entrance. It was crowded in the base, as usual. Since the war in Lior, not even two years ago, the city and the entire military had been in a state of turmoil, in fear that another attack would ensue. Afterall, none of them had seen what it was that actually stopped the attack.

_'Or the two who were responsible for saving Amestris, maybe even the world.'_ Winry thought serenely. When it came down to it, she was proud of the Elric brothers, as always, but she would not let her mind linger on them anymore. They were her past… the one she wanted to forget, so she could start a new life…

After several staircases they arrived at the fourth floor, where Riza and the others were now stationed. They entered the lounge area and office cubicles where Jean Havoc, Heymans Breda, Vato Falman, and Cain Fuery were hanging out, not exactly doing their jobs…

"I'm telling you guys, this time I really think this one could be an _it_!" Havoc whined. "She's not like all the others; she's sweet, charming, beautiful, her skin so soft, and she said I'm CUTE!" Havoc beamed like he won the prize for being Amestris's most eligible bachelor.

"Uh huh, and that's what you said about last week's girl and then the one before that, and so on and so forth." Breda replied while rolling his eyes. "It's always the same deal with you. First you meet the girl then you act like you're frickin' engaged or something!"

At this, Havoc's face dropped almost comically as he fled to the corner of the room to begin his pouting session. "… well, it's true… this one's different… I know it." He muttered while sniffling.

At the sorry display of self pity, Winry giggled as Riza massaged her temples in irritation before they walked fully into the room.

Falman was the first to notice them enter. "Oh, good morning, Lieutenant General." He put down the files he was carrying onto Riza's desk, in order to salute his superior. He then noticed Winry who was standing a bit behind Riza. "Winry-san, it's good to see you again, how are you today?"

Winry flashed her sweet smile. "I'm alright, thank you Falman-sama, how-"

"WINRY-CHAN!" Fuery jumped up with the brightest smile you had ever seen with his dark eyes sparkling like gemstones. "How are you doing?"

"Uh… just fine… Cain. And you?" Winry asked, giving an awkward smile and wave.

Riza just shook her head._ 'I think it's more torture than entertainment for Winry to be here talking with these clowns. At least there's never a dull moment.' _Riza looked over to where Fuery was grinning like an idiot. _'Sorry Fuery, but I'm positive that Winry's not interested. Besides, she's WAY out of your league.'_

"I'm doing great! Thanks for asking!" Fuery immediately turned away hiding his blush. _'Holy crap, she asked how I was… SHE CARES!'_

Winry cocked an eyebrow before shrugging it off and walking over to where Havoc was sulking. "So Havoc-sama, I hear you've got a new girlfriend. May I ask who the lucky lady is?"

The light returned to Havoc's world as he shot up off the ground. "See? Winry-san believes me, don't you? Alright! I tell, you this girl is special. She works in a flower shop on the east side of Central. She's got a great sense of humour, she's smart, and she even-"

"Alright, Alright, I get it!" Winry replied flailing her arms around in a blur. "She sounds really nice, Jean-san. Best of luck to you!"

"Thank you, Winry-chan!" Havoc said as he lit up a cigarette, a triumphant smug plastered on his face.

"Humph, ever since he got shot down in flames by Catherine Armstrong, he's been more determined to find that _special someone_." Breda scoffed. "Same old desperate Havoc…" He sneered.

Havoc's mouth fell open causing his cigarette to hit the floor. "I can't believe you just said that out loud. I thought we all agreed never to bring that up again!" He wailed.

"They find the most pointless things to yell about." Riza let out a frustrated sigh from behind Winry. Meanwhile, Falman was trying to pry an enraged Havoc's death grip off of Breda. Fuery was sure enough, still waiting for his blush to fade. "Are you sure you don't mind staying here while I go check up on the General?"

"Hey Winry-san!" Breda wheezed out, still rubbing his neck after Havoc's assault. "We've got a poll going, to see how long this one's going to last, you in?"

"GO TO HELL, BREDA!" Havoc yelled, the inferno raging up in his eyes again. If looks could kill, Breda would be sprawled out on the floor with about a hundred daggers sticking out of him, each _conveniently_ missing his vital organs.

Winry placed her hands on her hips and turned giving Riza a bit of a cocky smirk.

Riza grinned. "Alright, fair enough, I'll leave you to it." Before she left she grabbed the folders Falman had placed on her desk earlier. The top ones were documents from a Russell Tringham of Xenotime addressed to the General himself, it was something about a new discovery concerning the red stones.

_'This should be fun.' _Riza mused. _'It's probably more paperwork for the General to sign. As if it's difficult enough to get him to do his regular paperwork.' _Riza tucked the folders under her arm before turning to leave the lounge area.

She closed the door behind her and paused outside the door upon hearing Winry's laughter from the other side of the door. She smiled to herself before finally releasing the brass door handle and starting down the hall towards Roy Mustang's office.

* * *

Riza slowed her pace as she neared the General's office. _'A month and a half…'_ She absently thought to herself. _'It's been a month and a half since the day I found her in that mountain town, half dead from her injuries. What had she been doing all that time? Whenever I bring it up she always changes the subject...' _

She paused with her hand outstretched towards the door knob on Mustang's office door, still deep in thought. _'I should have known… all of us should have known… since the Elric brothers left this world, she put on such a brave façade, nobody would've thought that she was slowly slipping away into the darkness of her own heart. Then with the deaths of the last two members of her family, it pushed her over the edge.'_

Riza lowered her hand, and gazed at the door, or rather through it to whom was on the other side. _'It was Roy who found out first that Winry had gone missing. The night he received a phone call from Resembool…'_

_**...Flashback (Riza's POV)- six and a half months ago...**_

_I was sorting through the files in the cabinet, collecting what paperwork the General would need on his next trip. There was alot of work ahead, all to do with the reconstruction of Central. It was ten o'clock and I was already working overtime. For some reason Roy was still here. As strange as that was, he usually punches out early, as often as possible. I guess it was some sort of a sign that this day was meant to change all of our lives._

_That's when Roy got the phone call. Colonel Havoc walked into the office and informed the General that there was a girl who needed to speak to him._

_Roy paused."A girl huh? Now who could that be? I told Talia I'd call her tomorrow and I told Yelena… well… I'm busy right now, Colonel. Take a message and I'll call back." I rolled my eyes at this. 'Like that'll happen. The lecherous General is always on the prowl, he'll never even remember they exist tomorrow.'_

_"But General, the little lady said that it's an emergency… it's from Resembool…" Havoc added, he seemed concerned._

_At the sound of Resembool both the General and I looked up from what we were doing. The General had worry written all over his face. He agreed to take the call and told the Colonel to leave. I pretended to still be sorting through the files while I listened in on the conversation. 'What could be going on in Resembool…?' _

_"Central_ _Military HQ, General Roy Mustang speaking. Is it you… Rockbell-san?… A friend of hers? What's wrong?" The General's visible eye widened as he began to shake. I immediately dropped the folders I was holding and walked over to Roy's desk, my heart racing. 'I rarely see the General like this. The last time he had that look, he had just found out about… Brigadier General Hughes… oh god…'_

_Suddenly Roy shot up and yelled into the phone "WHAT DO YOU MEAN MISSING? For how long?… I see… thank you for calling…" He gripped the phone for a moment, he was trembling and his knuckles had gone a ghostly white before slamming down the phone. "FUCK!"_

_I waited for a moment, I wanted to know what happened to Winry, but I wasn't sure where to begin. So there I stood, watching my superior bury his face in his hands then rake them through his ebony hair. The weakest state I had ever seen him in. The great 'Flame Alchemist' in the worst state of vulnerability…_

_"… Hawkeye…" I heard him choke out, I looked up from the ground to lock eyes with him. I expected his face to be swallowed in despair, but no it was… anger? Yes, his eyes had an intensity in them, not determination but bitterness. Bitterness and hatred towards himself no doubt. I can only imagine what had gone through his mind, his past and what he had done…_

_"Sir?" I asked trying to keep my voice even._

_"… that was a friend of Winry Rockbell's, she said her name is Nelly." He told me. "Winry's grandmother and her dog… both passed away…" My hand shot up to cover my mouth before a gasp could escape. He continued. "Shortly after that, about a month ago, she… disappeared without a trace only taking the cloths on her back… nothing else…" _

_When he finished I swore my heart had already stopped. 'It's too much, she's too young to have to face this...' _

_I just stood there for a moment, staring off into no particular direction. I didn't know what to say, or do. I had the sickest feeling in my stomach as I felt the bile rise up in my throat, scorching it. I swallowed as best I could and raised my shaky hand up to my heart. 'How did it come to this, why did it have to be this way?' _

_"I had a feeling… something like this was bound to happen…" My eyes averted their attention back to the man in front of me. He now had his hands folded against his chin, leaning on his elbows. "It was only a matter of time, Lieutenant General… so much trauma in that young girl's life… all started by me…" He was tapping his heel against the leg of his chair. The only sound in the room other than the crickets chirping outside._

_'Maybe it was bound to happen.' I thought to myself. 'But that still doesn't mean she has to do this alone…'_

_I wasn't even sure what I planned to do. I hadn't seen the girl many times before but I was still quite fond of her. She had gone through so much but still managed to hang on strong, but it was more than likely just a mask to conceal her sorrow… still… she wasn't all alone before, she had her grandmother, her dog, and even the Elric brothers when they were around, but now…_

_"I'm going." I stated bluntly._

_He looked up at me. "What?"_

_"I'm going… after her, it's a personal promise I made to myself once. Please don't question my actions and permit me a leave of absence. I don't know how long I'll be, it could be weeks or more…"_

_He smiled a bit. "Alright… Hawkeye, I grant you your leave." Then his expression hardened. "Just make sure you and Rockbell-san come back safely."_

_I nodded and turned to leave. 'He really does have a split personality when it comes to serious matters.'_

_**...End of Flashback (normal POV)...**_

Riza snapped out of her trance and once again gripped the door handle to Mustang's office. _'Afterall, trauma causes pain: internal pain that is nearly irreversible.' _She thought sadly as she turned the handle and stepped into the office.

After she closed the door quietly behind her, she saw Roy standing by the window, hands folded up against his back, gazing out at the scenery. Riza walked up to his desk and cleared her throat. He turned slightly to look at her. He still wore the same black eye patch that covered the entire left side of his face. To him, it served as a reminder of the challenges he faced in order to make it to the top. "Good morning, Lieutenant General." He said quietly.

"Sir." Riza placed the folders on his desk.

Roy's visible eyebrow twitched. "Oh you've got to be kidding me!"

"Afraid not, sir." Secretly, she loved the look on Mustang's face when he was waist high in paperwork. His facial expression really was priceless.

Roy went over to the stack of files and took the top one off and started skimming through the pages. Riza went over to the filing cabinet to start with today's organizing. The funny thing is that Roy actually seemed _interested _in what was in those reports, Riza noted. He then took the second report off the pile and went through those pages. At this one, a sly smirk crossed his features as he seemed to be recalling something.

Riza shook her head and went back to sorting through the files which were as usual, so out of order it was beyond recognition. After flipping through a few, she stumbled upon a file that read _"Corruption in Lalania." _Riza furrowed her brows in confusion. '_I don't remember this file being here before… and I've never heard of this place before… Lalania…'_

Riza walked over towards the wall with a giant map of Amestris. Sure enough, at the north-western most part of the state, a small town by the name of Lalania was situated. _'Corruption…'_ Riza thought as she went back over to the cabinet. _'Wouldn't I have been informed of this if it was serious matter or potential war crisis? I'll have to ask the General about this later…'_

"Lieutenant General." Roy called.

Riza put the file away and walked over to Mustang's desk. He had the first two files he was reading placed neatly on his desk while all the others were… sitting in the trash.

Riza resisted the overwhelming urge to knock the cocky General into tomorrow and plainly responded with. "Yes, sir?"

"It seems I'm needed in a few places and I want you to come with me. I need you to book us train tickets to Xenotime and Aquroya. We'll be leaving immediately in the morning."

"… I see…" Riza seemed a little disheartened.

Roy seemed to catch on to her train of thought. "Is… did you bring Rockbell-san with you today?" He asked a bit cautiously.

Riza raised her brow. "Sir… there is no need for formalities anymore. She's perfectly fine with it if you just call her Winry. You know this, she told you herself. You need to move on from what happened in the past… she has, and you can't avoid her forever. "

However, her statement fell on deaf ears as Roy was in his own world, mindlessly shuffling the papers in his hand as the room fell deathly silent once again. Leaving both occupants lost in their own thoughts of the events that transpired a little over a month ago.

Riza's thoughts lingered on the night she found Winry.

**_...Flashback (Riza's POV)- a month and a half ago..._ **

_"Winry! Are you alright? Say something, Winry!" But it was too late, she had already passed out from blood loss._

_"Damn it…" I cursed under my breath still shaking the now frozen girl. "Winry, don't you dare give in. You're stronger than that…"_

_I looked around hoping to find some sort of hospital or house I could take her to but everything was closed down for the night. Even in the residential areas all the lights in the houses were out. What a strange little village._

_I glanced back down at the bleeding girl in my arms who was now shaking uncontrollably. 'She's suffering from convulsions, a common characteristic from substantial amounts of blood loss. Just how long has she been out here anyway?'_

_I rested her gently back onto the pavement. 'six months…' I thought to myself absently. 'I have to try and stop the bleeding and try to make it… all the way back to Central.'_

_I ripped three pieces of cloth from my blue coat and dressed Winry's wounds which now looked to be almost rotting from over exposure. I then took off my black military overcoat and wrapped it around Winry's frail body and picked her up letting her head rest gently against my chest and ran towards the train station I saw on my way over here._

_It was quarter to midnight and I knew that every train in Amestris has one last departure at midnight so I picked up the pace. Upon arrival, I saw that there was barely anyone in the station so it was easy enough to get tickets, as well as avoid any questions. It's not everyday one sees such a gory sight._

_It was the cheapest looking train I had ever seen it didn't even have private boxes . _

_I placed Winry on the window seat and sat next to her, allowing her upper body to rest on my lap._

_Her skin was deathly pale and her lips were tinted blue indicating she was in a mild stage of hypothermia. Her once sunny blonde hair now held a red tinge to it from the amount of blood that covered her entire body and her clothes could be described as nothing less then rags. _

_I looked out the window adjacent to me at the starry sky. "I can only hope and pray that we make it to Central before it's too late." Riza thought worriedly. "If there's one person who wants to help Winry as much as I do, it's… Roy."_

_I glanced back down at Winry who had finally stopped shaking so violently. There was something about her that was different. I remembered seeing the look in her eyes before she fainted. They had been deprived of their natural sparkle and joy, the same orbs that would light up at the sight of her family and friends. _

_The old Winry was no more…_

_Winry Rockbell…_

_The beloved automail prodigy… _

_Was gone…_

_**...End of Flashback (normal POV)...**_

Riza snapped out of her thoughts and glanced over at the old clock on the wall. It was almost noon, and time for her break. She looked over to Mustang who was still in a trance. _'What could he be thinking about?'_

"Sir…?" Mustang looked up. "If those boys wanted to… could they come back? Afterall, the gate was destroyed, and I don't think that it's something even Edward could fix…"

Mustang let out a deep sigh, but said nothing. This was obviously a sensitive subject with him, so Hawkeye dropped it. "Well, I'm going to head back and check up on Winry and make sure the others are doing their jobs, and I want you to get those files out of the trash and go through them… or…" Riza gripped the handle on her pistol.

Mustang grimaced. "Fine, you're dismissed Lieutenant General."

Riza saluted and turned towards the exit. When she left, Mustang got up and headed back to his original place at the window. _'So, Winry really has moved on… she really meant what she said…"_

_**...Flashback (Roy's POV)- nearly two years ago...**_

_I watched hesitantly as the final traces of Alphonse Elric's coat disappeared beyond the gate after his older brother, like a crimson blur into an endless tunnel of darkness. He really would follow his brother till the end of time, and to the farthest ends of the world..._

_I was doing the right thing, wasn't I? Letting that boy go after Fullmetal, he wanted to so badly. I thought he was going to have a breakdown while I watched him fall on his knees, his sobs racking his small frame. _

_Then one final solution came to mind as I approached the broken boy. I placed my hand on his shoulder and told him one last thing that made his whole world light up again. He jumped to his feet and immediately took off towards the gate._

_I watched as the gate changed to a silhouette flickering as it was about to close. But I did nothing as I watched it disappear._

_I turned and headed back into the ruins of Central. As I approached a clearing in the rubble I saw Winry standing there with a huge suitcase slung over her shoulder. She was staring up at where the gate once stood, while one of her best friends; Scieszka, I believe was her name, was standing just a bit behind her._

_As I approached her she lowered her head and made eye contact with me. I averted my eye to the side, I just couldn't look this particular girl in the eyes. Afterall, I had done it again… I was responsible for taking two more people who meant so much to her. _

_'She must blame me for everything, I wouldn't hold it against her…'_

_"Colonel Mustang..." I looked up to meet her gaze. I was expecting her eyes to be spilling over with tears, but there were none. "Was that… Edward…?" She asked me. Her eyes looked so serene, almost peaceful._

_"Yes, I'm sorry Rockbell-san, but they're gone… both of them…" Winry's eyes darkened as she looked down. Yet a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She must have been proud of them. I followed her gaze back down to the pavement. _

_We stood like that in silence until I felt something on my shoulder. I raised my eye to see that Winry had her hand on my shoulder. She had such a calm expression, I had never seen that look in my presence before. Whenever I was around, her face would change into that of bitter hatred. But not this time…_

_"Has… the gate been destroyed?" She questioned, her eyes allowing one set of tears to pass._

_"…"_

_"It's alright." She began, **almost** reading my mind. "I don't hate you for this… **I**…" My eye widened, she couldn't be saying this. **"… forgive you."** And just like that, it was said. The biggest weight on my shoulders had been lifted with those three simple words. No sooner had she made that simple statement that she removed her hand and was now walking back down the path with Scieszka in tow._

_I watched her retreating form in astonishment. 'She really has matured, unlike Fullmetal. It must have taken her every ounce of courage to come right out and say that to my face…' _

_**...End of Flashback (normal POV)...**_

Roy smirked._ 'However… I never once said to anyone that I actually destroyed the gate…'_

* * *

Meanwhile, Riza was nearing the lounge when she heard a loud crash and a shout from within. What she saw when she entered the room, didn't please her in the least. The water cooler had been overturned and there were papers scattered everywhere. Havoc and Breda were at each others' throats for yet another reason. Falman was trying his hardest to keep the peace, and Fuery was trying to protect his glasses from being smashed. On the other side of the room, far away from the action, Winry was talking to Scieszka who had just arrived. 

Riza inhaled deeply trying to calm herself down by counting to ten but to no avail. So she reached for her gun and fired it twice at the roof, grabbing everyone's attention. Ironically enough, a dislodged piece of the roof fell and cracked over Havoc's skull who muffled his displeasure in his hands, a wise move as to not piss off the Lieutenant General with anymore outbursts.

"It was his fault!" Havoc and Breda shouted in unison while pointing at each other, but immediately shut their traps when Riza shot them a look that could make the dead cringe.

"I see we're not doing our jobs, as usual." Riza stated in monotone.

Havoc and Breda were holding each other for dear life._ 'Man, she's fucking scary when she's pissed.'_ They both thought.

Before things could get too out of hand Winry stepped in between the two terrified men and the menacing Lieutenant General, with Scieszka trailing behind. Both girls looked just about as scared as the other two, but nevertheless, Winry attempted to calm down the seething blonde woman. "N-Now… come on, Riza-san… i-it wasn't that bad… c-calm down please." She was shaking and Scieszka was gripping onto the back of her jacket whimpering.

Just as quickly as it rose, the temperature in the room returned to normal along with Riza's temper. "Fine with me." Riza said as she walked over to her desk.

Winry smiled and Scieszka gave her the thumbs up. "Nice going Winry-chan." She whispered.

About fifteen minutes of painful silence went by with Hawkeye now in the room. Until the handle on the door turned and in walked Maria Ross and Denny Bloch.

"Hey guys!" Winry exclaimed as she jumped up and went over to greet them.

"Oh, good afternoon Winry-san." Maria greeted. "I didn't know you were coming in today."

"Well, it was sort of a spontaneous, heat of the moment kind of thing." Winry replied scratching the back of her head, sheepishly. "So, what's new?"

"We just dropped by to tell everyone that Denny and I are putting in our two weeks notice, because we're engaged, and due to military standards we are not permitted to keep working here." Maria explained with a slight blush.

Winry seemed depressed at first about the news of them leaving but then lit up like a fluorescent light bulb. "Really, you're engaged? THAT'S GREAT NEWS! Congratulations!"

Riza watched in amazement as Winry grabbed both of them by the heads and pulled them down into an embrace while they started to tell her how it happened. _'So Winry is still an absolute sucker for that sort of thing.' _She smirked. _'It's nice to still see a glimmer of the old Winry kicking it once in a while…'_

"Wow, Denny. I'm so glad you finally got the courage to tell her." Winry said still beaming. "Good, I don't want to see you crying over her anymore."

Denny's brow twitched. "I… I wasn't crying! I was just having an allergic reaction to the air in Resembool." He crossed his arms and nodded to himself in reassurance. "Yeah that's it, all that straw and fertilizer just isn't good for anyone's health."

"Sure." Winry replied while rolling her eyes. Everyone in the room got up to offer their regards to the new couple when yet another person came into the room.

"What's all the commotion about Lieutenant General?" Mustang asked, he was carrying the same two folders from earlier.

"Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Bloch are engaged, sir." Riza replied. Winry inwardly cringed. She always hated it when Riza called him 'sir.' Truthfully, she didn't think that Riza should have to answer to anybody, which was far from the reality.

"I see." Mustang looked over at Denny. "So Sergeant, I guess that means _your_ shop is closed." He said with a smirk.

Denny flushed a deep red and puffed out his cheeks in irritation. "What are you talking about? I'm not a pervert who goes after practically anything that moves!" Mustang just shrugged and went over to where Hawkeye was standing.

"Hawkeye, have you booked those train passes yet?"

The smile on Winry's face faded as she looked up at the woman next to her. "Where are you guys going?"

Mustang answered for her. "There have been some things happening in the other towns involving some new findings on the red stones in Xenotime, and some issues concerning a thief in Aquroya that have once again gotten a little out of hand." He looked over to where Havoc was seated at his desk. "And I want you to accompany us as well, Colonel."

Havoc glared at him. "What for?"

Mustang faltered slightly at the Colonel's lack of respect. "That's insubordination, Havoc." Then he grinned mischievously. "Afterall, who better than you to act as my bodyguard?"

"Ha! I knew it." Havoc turned away. "So all you want is a human shield, ooh let me be the first in line." Havoc spat sarcastically, waving his hands for dramatic effect, but failing miserably. Then it occurred to him. "But I have a date tonight!"

"So? break it." Mustang stated plainly like it was the simplest task in the world. Havoc crossed his arms and went back to pouting. "Easy for you to say, you attract girls like screws to a magnet." He murmured under his breath.

Winry cast her gaze downward. _'Those are some of the places that Al and… Ed visited, while they were searching for the Philosopher's Stone.' _She kept her gaze glued to the linoleum floor for a few minutes, contemplating on what she was about to do.

"… I'm coming too…" She said quietly.

"What was that?" Roy asked.

"I said I'm coming too!" She shouted, catching everyone off guard with her sudden outburst.

Winry looked straight up at Mustang, pinning him with her eyes. "Winry?" Riza tried calling out to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, but Winry shrugged it off. That girl was on a mission. She started towards the baffled General with a determination coursing through her body that would have even put Ed's to shame. She stopped mere inches in front of one of the men that had caused her so much grief in the past and gripped her elbow with her opposite hand.

Mustang blinked a few times, clearly amazed by the fire in the girl's ice blue eyes. A clear contradiction in terms. But also about how much she resembled Edward in that instant.

"Mustang…" Same tone as well. "I've always been forced to sit on the side lines when it came to those two. They always shut me out, and I know that they were just looking out for me and doing what _they _thought was best.…" She took a deep breath before continuing. "But… they're gone now, and now it's my turn to see the world. I have nothing to go back to and nothing more to lose. So I want to get out there and find my own purpose in this world. And I want to start with learning about what I missed. If I don't do this for myself, I know for a fact that I won't be able to move on with my life…" She paused and lowered her head. "I think… or I hope, Ed would've wanted me to do this. If it makes me happy…"

"Winry…" Riza breathed, obviously touched as was everyone else in the room by her bold declaration and confession all wrapped together in one very moving speech.

Roy's one onyx eye softened as he stared at the top of the blonde girl's blonde head. "Well…" Winry's head shot up to look at him. "How can I say no to those eyes?"

Winry's eyes widened. "Really? You mean it?" Roy nodded, a small smile now on his face. "That's great! By the way…" Her face turned serious again. "I won't need you to brief me on anything concerning the red stones before we get to Xenotime… I already know that the Homunculi used them a sustenance."

Roy's face twisted in confusion. _'How does she know about all of that. That's top secret military information that only Fullmetal, his kid brother, and higher ups like myself know about. And I know for a fact that Edward wouldn't tell her something like that, the knowledge would put her into too much danger…'_

Roy was brought out of his thoughts when Havoc broke the awkward silence. "Hey, it'll be fun now that Winry's coming with us. I'm sure there's a lot of places she would like to visit too, and we could serve as her escorts while getting a little paid vacation time. It's a win-win for all, right Winry-san?" Winry smiled in return. "For example…" He continued. "I'm sure you would love to visit... what was her name? Rose Thomas?" Winry nodded. "She's your best friend, am I right?"

Winry's smile weakened. "I don't think it's such a good idea to go to Lior…" She trailed off. _'I don't think Rose would want to see me.' _She thought sadly.

Riza looked down at her knowingly. "Just leave it alone, Colonel." She spoke softly to Havoc before he could say anything else.

Another wave of silence filled the air giving it a chilly aura, until a booming voice sounded from other side of the door, cutting through it like butter.

"I sense negative energy flowing from this room!"

Then the door flew open knocking it clean off its hinges. _'Great...' _Mustang grimaced. _'Now I'll have to spring for a new door from my own wallet since the military won't, due to all the desks Fullmetal trashed during his **pint-sized** rampages.' _

Soon after, everyone in the lounge was blinded by the bright light and pink stars permeating from non other than Alex Louis Armstrong. "Why does everyone in this room seem to be so depressed? It's a beautiful day outside, the sun is shining, the leaves are turning a brilliant orange with the changing seasons, the squirrels are beginning their harvest to prepare for the Winter days ahead, and…"

His eyes fell on Winry who was still trying to adjust to the light. "Well if it isn't Winry-san!" He stated happily. "It's always a welcome surprise to see your smiling face around here." He went over to give her one of his trademark bear hugs, until Riza stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Let's not and say we did, shall we?" She said. Winry was hiding behind her pretending to be invisible. Armstrong's pink stars turned into storm clouds as he went over and sulked in the corner, in a similar style to Havoc's.

Mustang rubbed the side of his head. "Okay... now let's start preparing for tomorrow's exhibition. Hawkeye-"

"I will assist you!" Armstrong cut in, trying to repair his shattered confidence. "I will do my best to help you all fulfill your goals and ambitions. I-"

"That's alright." Mustang said patting him on the shoulder. "You can hold down the fort while we're gone, right? Okay." For the second time in just under a minute, Armstrong's world collapsed.

"I'll book the tickets right away, sir." Riza said, then turned to Winry. "Afterwards, we'll be heading home, alright?" Winry nodded and went over to get her coat.

Ten minutes later, Riza met up with Winry in the lobby of HQ. "By the way, isn't there something you wanted to give to Elysia? This will be your last chance because we're leaving tomorrow."

Winry thought over the suggestion for a second. "Yeah, I do have something for her..."

* * *

When they arrived at the Hughes' home, Winry ran ahead and knocked on the door quickly. It was Gracia who answered. "Oh hi Winry dear, hello Riza." She greeted with her bright, cheery smile. "It's nice to see you both again." 

"It's nice to see you again too, Gracia-san." Winry bowed slightly while Riza nodded.

"Would you like to come in for some tea?" She offered.

"Um, yeah… come on Riza-san."

The two blonde woman sat down on the coach while Gracia went into the kichen. It was mostly silent until they heard pounding footsteps sprinting down the stairs.

"Sounds like Elysia's heard your voice, Winry-chan." Gracia smiled as she placed the tray of tea and cinnamon coffee cake down onto the antique cherry wood table.

Like clockwork, Elysia came rushing into the living room and clamped herself onto Winry's leg. "Nee-chan! I'm so glad you're here!" She sang happily.

Winry smiled and ruffled the small girl's hair, which was now worn down and reached her mid-back. "Hello sweetheart, what are you up to today?"

Elysia reached into her pocket and pulled out a small beaded daisy she had been making, but some of the beads were sliding off because the ends hadn't been tied. "Nee-chan, I can't tie this up. It keeps coming undone." She was glaring down at the craft in irritation, she had obviously been at it for awhile.

Winry looked at he deformed flower and gently pried it from the frustrated girl's grip. "See, it's not that hard. There's a trick to it." She pressed her finger down on the string close to the edge of the daisy and tied the rope around her finger. Then she removed said finger and kept pulling until the tiny knot hugged the flower, keeping it firmly in place.

Elysia looked on in bewilderment. "Wow, how did you do that?"

Winry grinned. "It just takes practice. I use to make them all the time when I was your age..." She placed the daisy onto Elysia's palm, but let her hand linger there a moment longer as she brought her other hand up covering the other side of Elysia's small hand. "Now promise me you'll keep this forever, so that you don't forget me."

Riza scrunched up her eyebrows. _'What do you mean by that, Winry?' _She thought worriedly.

Elysia blinked at her in shock, as if totally disconcerted by the mere thought. Then she removed her hands from Winry's and climbed onto her lap. "I could never forget my Win-chan."

Winry raised her eyebrow. "How do you know that name, Elysia?"

Elysia bounced happily. "My Nii-sans; Ed and Al used to call you that all of the time when they would talk about you, but Ed would always get really mad at Al whenever he would use it."

Winry chuckled. _'I guess some things will never change.' _Then she remembered the reason why she came here in the first place. "Here Elysia-chan, I have something for you." She reached inside of her jacket and pulled out the cherry blossom origami.

The young girl's eyes sparkled in admiration. "Wow, Win-chan. It's beautiful… is it for me?" She asked hesitantly.

"Of course it is, silly." Winry replied as she placed it into Elysia's hands who eagerly accepted it and went over to show her mom.

"Here, there's one more thing I want to show you." Winry said. She walked over and bent down in front of her, on one knee. "Watch this." She instructed as she took the paper crane and pulled on a little string at the base. A small swing fell down, it was attached to a branch by the other end of the string.

"That's so cool!" Elysia exclaimed as she fiddled with the tiny, old-fashioned swing.

Winry smiled sadly. "I'm glad you like it. I had originally made it for someone else, but I forgot to give it to him. And I never got another chance…"

"Where is he now?" Elysia asked.

"… he's gone…" Winry said quietly. Images of the strange little homunculus, whom she thought was just an innocent child, projected through her mind.

Surprisingly, Elysia smiled. "Oh Winry-chan..." She started. "I give my daddy flowers everyday. I know he can't actually have them, but he knows that they are there. Don't you see, it doesn't matter that your friend is dead, because if you give this to him, he'll know that you still care for him. It's from the heart..." She shoved the sculpture back into Winry's hands. "Give it to him, it'll make you feel better."

It was astonishing. Only nine years old and she already sounded like a scholar. Hughes was right, she really is brilliant.

Winry looked up into the celadon eyes of the cutest little girl she had ever seen. "… you're right… Elysia… it's something I need to do… thank you." Elysia smiled and wrapped her arms around Winry. The two older women exchanged a warm look at the moment.

Winry stroked Elysia's soft hair tenderly. _'Maybe things will be alright afterall…'_

**

* * *

****Disclaimer:** As always, nothing has changed, it's still not mine. 


	5. Chapter 3: You're Stuck With Us

**When The Icicle Melts**

**Chapter 3: "You're Stuck With Us"**

"Have a safe trip, Winry-chan. Be sure to take good care of yourself now. Are you absolutely sure you packed everything you'll need?" Winry rolled her eyes, but she truly didn't mind it when Gracia mothered her as if she was her own. She leaned out the window of the train and waved to her while nodding.

Gracia, Elysia, Scieszka, and all of Mustang's subordinates had come to bid the foursome farewell at the Central train station. Gracia was holding Elysia's hand in one and Black Hayate's leash in the other. There was a chance that this could be a long trip and wouldn't be back for an extended period of time, so he would be staying with them.

"Oh, before I forget…" Gracia released Elysia's hand and walked over to the train. "I couldn't let you leave without one of my world famous apple pies for the road now could I?" She held up the basket accompanied with her beautiful smile.

Winry smiled in return and accepted the gift. "Gracia-san, I have no idea who invented apple pie, but I do know that you make the best!"

Elysia ran up beside her mom. "Nii-chan, do you have to go so soon? You've only just arrived…" She extended her arms towards Winry. "Can't I go with you? I want to see the world too." Her eyes started to brim with tears.

Winry's face saddened. "I'm sorry, honey..." She reached down with one hand and gently grasped both of Elysia's small hands. "But you're still too young, and you have school to attend. Don't worry, it'll all be okay. I promise." She offered up the best reassuring smile she could muster, given the situation.

Elysia lowered her head but nodded in understanding. Winry looked up towards the group and waved to them. "Bye everyone, thank you for everything!"

"See you later, Winry-san…" Maria spoke up for the group. "Until we meet again." The group waved to the young woman they had all grown so fond of. Armstrong of course, was crying the usual rivers.

Soon enough the whistle blew and the train began crawling forward while Elysia trotted alongside as it picked up speed. "Remember what I said, Win-chan. You'll feel much better after you give your gift to your friend!" Winry smiled down at her, but couldn't make direct eye contact with her. She always did hate good byes.

Elysia followed until she reached the edge of the platform. "Nii-chan! You promised me it would all be okay. You have to come back!" Winry watched as the station and its' occupants got smaller until it was completely out of sight before closing the window and sitting back down next to Riza without a word.

_'You're right, I did promise...'_ Her smile faded. _'But_ _I only promised that everything will be okay, not that I will return.' _She leaned on the palm of her hand and gazed out the window up at the sky. _'I'm so sorry, Elysia…'_

* * *

The trip had been silent for the most part, except for the shuffling of papers coming from Hawkeye as she read through Mustang's documents. The 'Flame Alchemist' was the only one occupying the seat across from Winry and Riza because Havoc was out 'enjoying' the scenery. Of course, the scenery was a pretty brunette he had spotted on his way on board. Following Riza's advice, Winry was once again dressed in the military uniform to avoid the usual questions. They were still technically on a mission, even if they did plan to take some vacation time off afterwards. 

Winry vaguely noticed it when a voice on the speaker rang out informing the passengers that the train would be arriving in Xenotime in ten minutes. She was finally brought out of her thoughts when Havoc returned and propped himself on his elbows on the back of her and Riza's seat.

"Man, the girls on this train sure are stingy..." The Colonel complained leaning in between the two blonde women. "I make one innocent comment about this one particular girl's friend and she flies off the handle!"

"Uh, Havoc…" Winry dared to venture. "What exactly did you say?"

"I just said that her friend had very pretty hair… and that she should consider a style like that." He added. Winry almost choked, and Riza just shook her head.

Mustang burst out laughing. "Are you kidding me?" He managed after he caught his breath. "A woman's hair is their pride and joy." At this comment, Winry and Riza snorted in disgust, almost perfectly in unison. "Well, for normal women anyway."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Winry yelled, balling up her fists. Hawkeye kept her composure as she had learned to do when a selection of the other male soldiers would make comments like that. But on the inside, she would have loved to kick the cocky General in the teeth.

"Um, absolutely nothing." Mustang said quickly, squishing himself as far as he could into the back of the seat. He turned his attention back to Havoc, who was clearly confused as to why they were so angry. "Look Colonel, for _some_ girls their hair means a great deal to them, so by saying that another woman's hair is nicer than theirs, well… that's just suicidal in most cases." Mustang stated being extremely careful with his choice of words. "How do you think I got to be the charmer that I am? I know what makes a lady tick." He added with his infamous, flirtacious grin.

Hawkeye narrowed her eyes. "General, might I remind you that we are on duty, and that all personal affairs must be left at home. Same goes for you, Colonel Havoc." She stated in a flat tone and turned back to the reports.

And for the rest of the trip, not one word was exchanged between the four.

Winry went back to gazing out the window, only now she had a slight smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. _'Riza-san sure hates it when Mustang talks about other girls…'_

* * *

Winry was the first one out of the train as she stood on the platform inhaling the cool night air. It had taken a whole day to get to Xenotime and everyone was beat. Therefore, as they gathered up their luggage, Mustang suggested that they check into a hotel for the night. 

The next morning, the group made their way up to the huge lab that overlooked the entire town. When they arrived, they were greeted by an older man, whom Winry assumed was the butler, who led them to where the Tringhams were working.

"Well Tringham, what have you got for me this time?" Mustang asked in a bored tone. A man around twenty emerged from the next room along with a boy who appeared to be in his teens.

"General Mustang, I've stumbled upon something that you might find useful…" He paused when he spotted the other three who had accompanied the General. His eyes rested on Winry when they got to her.

"These are my subordinates; Lieutenant General Riza Hawkeye, and Colonel Jean Havoc..." Mustang motioned to each of them by his side, then to Winry who was standing a bit behind Riza. "And this is Winry Rockbell, a friend of ours and… the Lieutenant General's assistant." Winry looked at him in confusion, so he winked at her signalling that she should go along with it.

"I see…" Russell turned to the others. "I'm sure you know, but my name is Russell Tringham and this is my younger brother, Fletcher Tringham." He said turning towards his brother. Winry bowed slightly out of sheer habit. "As I was saying…" He continued. "I've found some information I thought I should turn over to you concerning the Philosopher's Stone, come with me." The group followed Russell into what appeared to be a chamber used to conduct experiments.

"I hope this won't take too long, Tringham..." Mustang said. "I have other appointments to keep."

"Don't worry General, I'll make it brief." Russell responded with a hint of annoyance.

"You may find this interesting, so I suggest you listen up…" He arrived at a table that had some papers scattered across its' surface, the group surrounded the table and turned their attention back to Russell. "My brother and I have discovered a new way in which an object can have the same power as the Philosopher's Stone but no human sacrifices would be needed." At this everyone but the Tringham boys froze.

"How is that possible?" Mustang demanded. "This isn't a groundless theory is it?"

Russell shuffled through the papers calmly until he found the one he was looking for. "As you know…" He continued without even acknowledging Mustang's outburst. "The stone is moulded from a compound and then hundreds upon thousands of human sacrifices are made in order to fuel the stone's power. _That _is the exchange. So technically, not even the Philosopher's Stone can defy the laws of equivalent exchange."

Mustang calmed down and crossed his arms. "Go on." He coaxed.

"From what has happened, like human transmutations; the reason why they failed was because whoever attempted them did not have enough to give in exchange so in turn, a homunculus was created." Winry looked down; memories of what Ed and Al tried to do so many years ago flooded her mind. "They didn't have enough to give in exchange because the soul of a loved one or someone dear to them is priceless. At least to that individual, anyway. To someone else the loved one is simply another human so they hold no value. It's not selfish, that's just how life works."

"Wow that was a beautiful speech, Tringham." Mustang mused sarcastically. "But that doesn't really get us anywhere does it?"

"Souls can be priceless, but what about items?" This sparked Mustang's interest so Russell continued. "What if something, like a precious family heirloom is so special to a person that they wouldn't give it up for the world?"

"Then they are going insane." Mustang cut in, then started chuckling at his own 'wit.' This earned him a gun being pressed up against his temple followed by a loading click from non other than Hawkeye. Obviously she had also grown tired of Mustang's impudent remarks. Even Havoc was shaking his head in disapproval.

Russell rolled his eyes. "Anyway, my point is that can't an item's value to a person be used as equivalent exchange? It can never run out because a person's feelings are infinite, if they are true." Russell looked down towards Fletcher who seemed a bit depressed. "But the problem is that such an object is hard to come across, because most people don't have such an open mind, so it's rare to come across someone who does…"

Winry thought about that for a moment before speaking for the first time since they arrived. "So, it could be any kind of item?"

Russell shifted his gaze towards her. "Well… yes. It's just a theory that hasn't been tested yet, but there's no reason to refute the idea either." He looked upwards with a grin. "If it turned out to be true, the possibilies that could happen would be limitless. It would be another huge break in the world of science."

Winry looked at the blonde man with a small smile. _'Why does this boy remind me so much of Ed.' _She thought to herself. _'Sure he has blonde hair but… hell! Pretty much half the people I've met have blonde hair. It's probably his expression when he talks about science; it's just like Ed's… I'll never understand the fascination.' _She concluded silently.

"Do you have something precious to you, Winry-san?" Winry was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a tug on her coat. She looked over to see the adorable, bluish eyes of Fletcher looking at her curiously. "I'm sorry, do you mind if I call you that?" He asked.

Winry shook her head. "No, of course not. It's Fletcher right?" She asked the blonde boy next to her._ 'My stars, it's like I'm seeing another version of Al now. I really am going insane.'_

He nodded eagerly and smiled brightly at her. "That's right. You must have something that means a great deal to you. I can see it in your eyes."

Winry gently smiled in return. "Yeah, I do, it's something I received when I was very young…" She trailed off.

Russell tilted his head to the side, it was strange to see his kid brother talk to someone he just met and get along with them so well. Fletcher was usually very shy. "I must say, Winry..." Both Winry and Fletcher looked over towards him. "You are the first since the Elric brothers to have such a broad perspective to believe such a farfetched theory. It's good to see."

Winry looked back down while twirling the locks of her long ponytail mindlessly. "I have no reason not to believe it... I have seen alot of pretty amazing stuff in my life that normally, I wouldn't have believed unless I saw it with my own two eyes. And because of that… I'm able to accept things from a non-scientific point of view. There isn't an explanation for everything, there is so much we don't know. So why shun the possibilities of something like this? It's good enough for me…" She shifted her eyes back up and locked them with Russell's. "Am I right?"

Russell noticeably blushed and turned his head to the side but nodded nonetheless.

Mustang of course grinned at the feeble attempt to conceal the rosy tint._ 'Looks like someone's got a crush...' _He mused to himself. _'It seems yet another boy has fallen victim to Winry's natural charm. They just keep coming. Too bad she's usually oblivious to the attention.' _

He turned his attention back to the elder Tringham boy._ "_Thank you for your report, but we must be leaving now. We have to be in Aquroya by tonight." Riza placed her hand on Winry's shoulder and pulled her gently towards the exit.

_'It looks like I may be in luck afterall.' _Winry thought to herself with a hint of excitement. It was the first time luck had been on her side for a long time.

* * *

It was eight o'clock when Winry and the others arrived in Aquroya. Mustang said they needed to head directly towards a crime scene in the south part of the city. Apparently, there had been a number of disturbances caused by this one particular thief who used to torment the town about six years ago, and now they were at it again. 

The city by now was mostly flooded, the north and east sides were both completely submerged in water. It certainly lived up to its' reputation of being the 'sunken city.'

They arrived at an antique jewellery store and crossed under the police lines. A nameless soldier who appeared to be about in his mid-thirties approached the General. Mustang turned to his subordinates and Winry and asked them to head inside without him.

"General Mustang, sir." The soldier saluted. "It's the same thing as before. It is definitely the work of the phantom thief, Psiren, and we have reason to believe that she will return here tonight. You see, she stole one of the gems from a statue and she will probably come back for the others tonight."

Mustang nearly choked on only god knows what. "Thank you, return to your post immediately." The soldier nodded and returned to the scene. When he was gone, Mustang couldn't hold down the grin that was creeping up. _'So I was right, it is the same thief who pissed Fullmetal off to no end.' _He thought smugly.

They entered the building and into a room that was littered with diamonds, jewels, and gold. You would think that the walls were even made out of crystal. Mustang barely got himself comfortable when from nowhere a silver orb fell from the skylight and released a smokescreen into the room.

Riza shoved Winry backwards onto the floor and away from the smoke to prevent her from inhaling it. Winry tried looking for the others, but the gas had completely engulfed the room making it impossible for her to see farther than two feet in front of her. However, she did feel something rip her necklace off, and an air current tickle her skin indicating that someone passed her and was heading for the exit.

_'That must be the thief!' _It dawned on her as she jumped up and started blindly chasing the figure out into the night.

* * *

"Hey you, get back here! Give me back my necklace!" Winry yelled. The person turned slightly and smirked at the girl before increasing the distance between them. _'Damn, that guy's fast.'_ She thought as she picked up her speed. 

She finally caught up with the thief but before she could react, she tripped over an inclined piece of cement and lost her footing. Relying on human instinct alone, she grabbed onto anything in reach, which just happened to be the masked figure's ankles, pulling them down as well.

On impact, Winry banged her jaw on the pavement, and felt a bit of blood trickle down her neck, but she didn't care at the moment. She had a thief to deal with…

"End… of the… line… whatever your name is…." Winry managed in between gasps. She still held onto the person's ankles ad they flipped themselves around to see the person responsible for spoiling their 'fun.'

They let out a disheartened sigh. "Why is it that whenever my reputation is at its' peak, some blonde kid always foils my plans?" They sat up and removed their mask.

Winry knew her jaw fell open when she realized that it was a woman she was chasing. She was wearing a very 'interesting' leather costume and she had short but spiky honey blonde hair, but aside from that, the woman was stunningly beautiful. Winry felt her cheeks burn up in embarrassment from thinking that this thief was a guy and quickly realeased her ankles.

The woman cocked her head to the side. "Now I know I've seen _that _look before, the name's Psiren." Winry shook her head, but didn't say anything. She looked down at Psiren's hand and saw that she was gripping a blood red gemstone and in her other hand was Winry's pendant.

Winry lunged at the older woman and pinned her down, then proceeded to pry the necklace from Psiren's hand. She jumped back up and pointed at the older woman. "I don't care about the stone you can keep it. But you can't have this!" She choked out, right now she was so furious you could practically feel the ground trembling under her feet.

Psiren raised an eyebrow at her. "Now you definitely remind me of that blonde boy who interfered with my plans all those years ago..." She placed a finger on her chin. "What was his name again? I think he said it was Edward Elric." Winry's outstretched finger went limp and she dropped back down to the ground.

Psiren looked at her for a moment. "What's wrong with you?"

"… you knew, Ed?" Winry asked hesitantly.

Psiren shut her eyes and got up off the ground. She looked down at the girl and smirked a little. The twilight that shone over the two only added to the mystic quality. "Not personally, but we did cross paths a few time when he and his younger brother came to this town looking for the Philosopher's Stone."

Winry looked back up at the woman, the cloudiness in her eyes returned. _'This person knew Ed while he was on his quest. The side of him he never once let me see…' _She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt a cold hand lightly grasp her chin. Winry lifted her gaze to meet with Psiren's surprisingly bright smile.

"You're going to get an ugly scar on your face unless you get that cleaned." Winry ran her tongue over her bottom lip and realized that her jaw was still bleeding.

Psiren extended her hand towards Winry. "Here, come with me." She offered. Winry looked at her hand, but brushed it away. She didn't need any help before or now. She forced herself onto her feet and looked the woman straight in the eye.

Psiren just shrugged and started to walk away. "My offer still stands." She called over her shoulder. "And if you really want… I can tell you some things about that blonde alchemist you seem so fond of." She taunted playfully.

Winry stared at the retreating form of the mysterious woman for a moment, pondering over what she should do. Finally, Winry squeezed the pendant before she placed it around her neck and started to chase after her. "Wait up!" She called.

She followed Psiren for a few blocks until they arrived at what Winry assumed was Psiren's hideout. However, when she led Winry into the apartment she was shocked to see how beautifully furnished it was, but their was no evidence of any trinkets that Psiren stole in the past, while Winry expected the place to be full of antigues and other such items.

Psiren seemed to catch on to Winry's thoughts. "I am not your average everyday thief..." She explained. "The reason I do this is because I'm trying to save this city's reputation. As I'm sure you know, this town is sinking, and soon it will be completely flooded." She went over to a closet, pulled out a first-aid kit, and started to cleanse Winry's bruised jaw. "But of course, the military always feels the need to stick their obnoxious noses in where they don't belong."

Winry nodded. "I understand, so I don't care if you want to keep the red gem. Just not this…" She gripped onto the jewel around her neck. Psiren looked down at her quizzically. "It belonged to my… mother." She answered quietly.

Psiren's eyes softened in understandment before going into another room to grab some blankets. "It's late, so you can stay here for the night, make yourself comfortable." Winry nodded and went to sit on the floor across from her. "By the way, you never told me your name."

"It's Winry… Winry Rockbell."

Psiren furrowed her eyebrows, trying to place the familiar name. "I've heard that last name before... that's an automail business, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it _was_." Winry averted her eyes to the floor. "But I'm not in the business anymore..."

Feeling the uneasy tension, she thought it would be amusing to _really _change the subject. "Did I happen to mention that when your friend, Edward battled me, he fell on top of me and unintentionally went to second base?"

Winry's head shot up. "WHAT?"

Psiren threw her arms up in mock terror. "I said _unintentionally_, really you should have seen him stutter out excuses, it was quite the spectacle."

Winry relaxed and started chuckling. "Yeah? That sounds like Ed. He probably had no idea what was going on."

Psiren smiled knowingly at the girl. "I see, you're infatutuated with the boy." She stated. Winry blushed a light shade of pink. "It sure seemed like that boy was uncomfortable around girls, he didn't seem to know much about them or even seem interested." Before Winry could question further, she continued. "Or perhaps… he had unknowingly found one already, and deep down he didn't want to even think _that _way about any other girl." She offered with a sly smirk directed straight at Winry.

She looked down and started fiddling with her coat. "You shouldn't be so judgemental." She said quietly.

"I'm really not..." Psiren stated innocently. "It's just a suspicion, take it or leave it. Besides… you should have seen the look on your face when I said his name, is there something stopping you?"

Winry lowered her head, her bangs shielding her eyes. "He's gone… not dead, but I don't know how to find him…"

"Well, in any case." Winry raised her gaze slightly. "You must have something going for you other than your looks, you are quite attractive afterall…" Winry blushed slightly at the compliment. "My advice to you is if you can grab that boy's attention, I'd hold onto it. Because I thought the only thing on his mind was alchemy when I tried seducing him and all he asked me for was information on the Philosopher's Stone..."

She got up and headed towards her bedroom. "Don't give up on him, things always find a way of working themselves out." Was the last thing she said before turning in for the night.

Winry smiled. _'Maybe there is something I can do...' _She thought before climbing into her makeshift bed and eventually succumbing to her nightmare plagued world.

* * *

The next morning, Psiren took her back to where the jewellery store was located, she was wearing normal everyday clothes for once. In the distance Winry saw Mustang, Havoc, and Hawkeye standing near the front steps. And boy did Riza looke miffed. _'Ah man, I'm going to get chewed out for sure.'_ Winry thought glumly. 

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, so she turned slightly to see Psiren holding out a small palet with a small simulated ruby on the lid in the palm of her hand. Winry looked up at her questioningly. "I can tell you're not one who's used to wearing makeup." She explained. "But the lipstick suits you, so here is something for a special occasion."

Winry took the small case and flipped the top open. It was a beautiful rosy shade of pink eyeshadow. She closed it and smiled up at the older woman. "Thank you… Psiren."

"It's actually, Clara." She responded with a wink. "Remember what I said, Winry. Don't give up, I'm doing what makes me happy by helping the city of Aquroya go down in history. So you should do what makes you happy as well."

Winry nodded and tucked the gift inside her jacket and started walking towards the others. When she got there, Riza was the first to spot her. "Just where did you run off to last night?" She yelled angrily. "We were worried sick about you, do you know what happens to lone women late at night!" Oh yes, as expected, Riza was furious. Her eyes widened when she saw the bandage on Winry's chin.

Winry followed her gaze, and waved her arms trying to reassure the fuming woman. "It wasn't that big of a deal Riza-san, I stayed at… Clara's place last night."

"Who's that?" Havoc asked.

Winry turned around but was not at all surprised to see that Clara was nowhere to be seen. _'I thought as much, she's certainly a crafty woman.' _Winry chuckled to herself. "She's just a friend, Havoc." She replied quietly. Havoc looked puzzled, but Mustang had his suspicions about who Clara really was.

Unfortunately for Winry, Riza wasn't done with her lecture. So as she scolded the girl for running off without telling anyone, Mustang couldn't help but grin at the whole situation. Since Winry's arrival in Central, the two had developed a strong bond. One of which Winry had been lacking for most of her life. And it was true, Riza was a bit overprotective of her. Winry was already a young adult after all. But when it came to her safety, it was the same spark he had seen in Riza's eyes the night she brought Winry to his place...

_**...Flashback (Roy's POV)- a month and a half ago...**_

_I was leaning on the windowsill, lightly swirling a glass of Scotch on the rocks, my undisputed favourite drink. It always provided me with a temporary release from the burden of being a military dog. My breath was beginning to fog up the windowpane as I gazed out into the starry night sky. _

_The storm had finally passed. _

_I was just about to turn in for the night when I heard a deafening sound at my apartment door, too loud to be a knock. Before I could answer, it was kicked open by, to my immediate shock, Riza Hawkeye. What troubled me the most was that she was carrying a girl who was covered from head to toe in her own blood and looked to be almost dead. What made my heart lurch was that I recognized the girl to be Winry Rockbell._

_My hand went limp and the glass instantly slipped from my grasp and shattered on the floor._

"_Roy… I need your help." Hawkeye pleaded in desperation. I didn't need to be asked twice, I went over to the closet and grabbed some blankets, towels, and medical supplies. We set Winry down on the table and Hawkeye went to work on properly sterilizing Winry's wounds. I didn't know what else I could do, so I went to fetch some hot water._

_When I returned Hawkeye mumbled something about needing to operate on the girl. "What do you mean?" I asked._

"_Some of Winry's wounds are too deep to simply bandage up." She replied. "I'm going to have to stitch them up the old fashioned way." My eyes widened when she pulled out a needle and thread. "And I'll need you to hold her down." She added without looking up from the task. I nodded slightly and walked over to stand above Winry's head. I knew this was the only way, there wasn't enough time to take her to the hospital. For we both knew that Winry wouldn't make it, even for that short trip._

_I placed my hands on Winry's shoulders and watched as Hawkeye brought the needle down and I cringed just as she pushed it through Winry's flesh. The girl let out a sharp cry and tried to pull away from my grasp, but I pulled her up slightly so her head and shoulders were leaning against my chest, and held her there firmly in place. I was hoping the warmth of a human body would soothe her even in the slightest. _

_I looked up to see Hawkeye shut her eyes tightly for a second before proceeding to pull the needle through and connect it with the skin on the other side of the gaping wound. Every time the needle would enter her skin, another cry would initiate and Winry would start wildly thrashing but I held her tightly because if she moved, Hawkeye may have unintentionally made her injuries worse. _

_And she still wouldn't wake up completely. Thank god for that._

_I rested my head on Winry's and shut my eyes as the operation ensued. I hated seeing her in so much pain, and seeing the devasted look on Riza's face every time she would push the needle through Winry's flesh didn't help much either._

_Finally after what seemed like hours I heard the string being cut indicating that she had finished. I looked up to see Hawkeye tieing off the stitch and place the needle into a bag. _

_She returned and leaned heavily on her arms looking down at the sleeping girl. Winry's breathing was still shallow, but her skin was starting to return to normal, now that she wasn't losing anymore blood. Riza's arms were trembling and her eyes were brimmed with tears. It must have been awful, having to intentionally inflict pain on a girl she cared for so much._

_Tomorrow, we would take her to a real hospital._

_After we got back from the hospital, I helped Hawkeye set Winry up in my room, she still hadn't regained conciousness. I thought it would be better to keep her where we could both keep an eye on her._

_One day I remember asking her while she was on her way to redress Winry's wounds what her reasons were for helping a girl she hardly knew._

"_I don't really have a reason. I just want to." She told me and entered the room where Winry was sleeping quietly. _

_I followed her and leaned against the door frame as she proceeded to cleanse Winry's wounds. She had not left her side once since she brought her here. I'd like to say I wasn't staring at Winry's exposed chest too much, afterall I had seen it before during the operation. But nevertheless, Hawkeye shot me a glare that suggested I preoccupy myself with something else. _

_I suddenly found the ceiling very interesting…_

_"Edward…"_

_This however, easily topped the ceiling as I looked back down at Winry. Did she really just say that?_

_"Ed…"_

_Yes she did. I looked over at Hawkeye but her eyes never left the task at hand. But I could tell that she wasn't surprised in the least. Winry must say that name often..._

_And that was how it went, until two weeks later when Winry awoke from her coma-like state and Hawkeye decided to bring Winry home to live with her, since she had nowhere else to go. _

_Winry didn't say anything and allowed Hawkeye to guide her. She stopped briefly to look up at me, and I gave her a small smile. I knew that she understood before she dropped her gaze back down to the floor and followed Hawkeye out the door._

_It was always his name on her tongue…_

_But where was he when she needed him the most…?_

_**...End of Flashback (normal POV)...**_

Roy looked up to see that Hawkeye was done scolding Winry who now had her arms crossed in a pouting state.

"Where to now, General?" Havoc asked.

Mustang started walking off. "Now I have to be at East City HQ and speak to one of the secretaries there." He stated as the others followed.

* * *

Winry was sitting on the same ledge Riza was leaning against while Havoc was puffing a cigarette, enjoying the view of East City. Mustang was off doing his own business and told the others that they could do as they please. 

Winry glanced to the side to see two boys in their teens she thought she recognized, but they disappeared before she could get a second look.

Soon enough, Mustang returned and informed them that he had done everything he needed to do and that they could either return to Central, or go visit some other places to avoid going back to work. Of course, Havoc protested going back to Central, and Hawkeye rolled her eyes; she knew what the answer would be.

Before the matter could be pressed further a boy jumped out from behind the bush and ran towards Mustang, he was followed by a boy who looked to be a few years younger. Winry recognized them as the boys she saw earlier. But what struck her the most was that they both had piercing red eyes…

The older boy ran up to Mustang and kicked him in the shins. "I HATE THE MILITARY!" He screamed. "It's their fault my mother's dead!" He turned to run away but the squeal of his little brother made him freeze. He turned around to see that Havoc had him by the arms. "Rick!" He cried. "Let my little brother go you bully!"

It dawned on Winry where she had seen these two boys before. "Havoc, let him go, NOW!" She yelled angrily. Havoc immediately released the boy who then ran over to his brother's side.

The older boy looked up at Winry and twisted his face in confusion. She seemed so familiar to him, then it finally hit him. "You were the girl who was travelling with the Elric brothers and the one who stayed with us." He stated. "Thank you for helping my brother."

"You're welcome, but are you guys here all alone? Where is your elder?" Winry asked.

The boy seemed to be contemplating something. "You saved my brother, you're a good person. As long as you and the others promise not to reveal where our hideout is, I will show you."

Winry placed a hand on her chest. "I swear, I won't." She looked back at her companions and they nodded.

"Very well then."

* * *

The Ishbalan boys led them far away from the city and down into a valley that was well hidden from the outside world. After a while, they arrived at a clearing where a few tents were set up. Obviously, many of the Ishbalan refugees had died over the years without proper medical supplies. They arrived at one tent on the fringe and proceeded inside. There they saw the elder himself hunched over a pot making some sort of medicinal supplement being simmered over a large flame. 

Hearing approaching footsteps he looked up. "Oh Leo, Rick. Back so soon?" His eyes rested on the others but were uneasy seeing them all in blue military uniforms.

Leo stepped in before the elder could question any further. "This is the girl who was with the Elric brothers when they stopped those evil military men from destroying the rest of our people. These are just some of her friends."

The tension in the room lifted as elder's muscles relaxed. "Please, stay for a while, and rest your weary spirits." He motioned towards the mats on the floor. Winry looked around a bit. It was a rather shabby looking home that didn't have much to it.

The elder stared at the young woman before him as she sat down across from him with her companions close by her side. Almost immediately, her gaze fell to the flickering fire, almost like she was afraid of something. Her eyes held a depth of seriousness, but deep within them was a hint of desperation. It was astonishing how much her orbs resembled two teardrops in that instant. "What is your name, child?" The elder finally asked with a reassuring smile.

"Winry Rockbell, sir." She replied with as much enthusiasm as possible.

"I see, well Winry-san, you are garbed in military threads. But you are no soldier." He stated.

Winry's eyes darkened. "No sir, I hate the military." She spat venomously.

"I see… then why have you journeyed here today?" The elder inquired.

He watched as Winry's eyes moved from the fire to his face before they moved back once again to the fire. "… it's just that…" She started. "I know that the Ishbalans don't care about the Philosopher's Stone, but that's not what I want..." Winry tried to find the right words but to no avail. "Do you know anything about the Gate?" She tried.

The elder nodded. "Yes I do, I also know that it connects to another world, why do you ask?"

Winry started to tug at the carpet fibres. "I wanted to know if there's another way to reach gate, and I thought perhaps you would know." She stated plainly.

Mustang looked down at her sadly. _'So, her mind has always been set on that. She must have had this planned for some time…'_

The elder looked at her in understandment, much to Winry's surprise. He extended his hand towards her. "Give me your hand, young one." He said softly.

Winry did as he asked, still a little unsure if she was out of line. He held it for a second before placing it back on the mat. "You have lost two individuals who mean the world to you." He stated simply.

Winry's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to question him but the elder beat her to it. "I already had the feeling your question was for a noble cause, so I will tell you what you want to know."

Winry shut her mouth and listened to the elder's story intently. "There is no way to reach the gate without offering something as an exchange... however… I have heard of a town that may harbour such a border..." Winry looked at him oddly. "Let me explain the history of this ancient town. Anyone outside of this place who still know of its' existence say that it is cursed. That is because the people who inhabit it believe in ghosts and other supernatural phenomena. So over time, they became isolated from the rest of the state."

"Why is that?" Winry asked.

"Simple. Humankind as a whole fear the unknown, and what they don't understand. And if it is not real in their minds, then it must be evil. So in turn, those people were alienated. It got to the point where they were not just another town, but a separate civilization..." He dropped his gaze to the sizzling remedy in front of him. "Just as we Ishbalins are discriminated against because of our looks, those people are persecuted because of their beliefs..."

Winry bowed her head. "... so, what is the name of this town?"

"I believe its' full name is… _Lalania: the noble, festival site._"

Riza sucked in a short breath. _'Lalania… that's the municipality I read about back in Central…'_

Mustang closed his eyes. _'I thought it might be that place… the one that the military is trying to keep hidden from the rest of the state.' _He smirked to himself. _'But really, ghosts? Surely the people are just trying to make it sound better then it is…' _

"Sounds cryptic." Havoc mused out loud.

"It is…" The elder continued. "My point is that there is no reason not to believe that this place may have the answers you are looking for."

_'And even if it doesn't…' _Winry thought to herself. _'I have something else in mind…'_

Winry looked back up at the elder and smiled. "Thank you, I know what I need to do now…" She looked beside her at Riza. "I'm going to Lalania, It's something I have to do. I don't want you to co-"

"Like hell you're going anywhere without me."

Winry fell on her side. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She's right, Winry-san." Winry looked over at Havoc who was on the other side of Mustang. "Wherever _you_ go, _we_ go. I don't think anyone has any idea what you hope to accomplish, but we'll see you through to the end anyway."

Mustang smirked and ruffled the top of Winry's hair. "That's right, kiddo. You've been with us for too long now. Now I'm afraid you're stuck with us." He grinned.

Winry puffed out her cheeks and glared at the raven haired man. "Stop treating me like a kid!" She shouted angrily. Mustang just laughed and removed his hand.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she sat up and tried lamely patting her hair back into place before looking up at Riza. "So you're really coming?"

"Yup." She stated plainly.

"Why would you do that?" Winry asked.

"Because I can."

"Well…" Winry stood up and began to make her way towards exit the tent, but not before adding. "Do as you like." At this, Riza smirked before following the young woman out.

After the four were back at the station in East City. Havoc brought up the fact that they couldn't go on a long term trip without bringing any essentials like clothing. 

"We can go to… Resembool." Winry offered quietly. Riza was about to say something when she continued. "I know Riza, but nobody wants to go back to Central yet, and besides I'll need some things I know I left there..." She lowered her head. "And I want to visit my parents…" Riza nodded without another word.

"But first…" Winry looked up at Mustang. "I need to go to Dublith, there's something I need to do there as well…"

* * *

The next day, the foursome arrived in Dublith. Winry had phoned Mason at the station before they left to inform them that she would be visiting the next day. 

Winry led the way until they arrived at a medium sized house in the middle of town. On the front lawn, Mason was playing with a little girl whom Winry knew to be Manny and her kittens that were now full grown.

"Hello Manny, Mason how are you today?" Winry greeted with a wave.

Manny looked up and ran up to Winry. "Hi Winry! Look at how big my cats have gotten." She held up one proudly.

"Wow, Manny they look great. You must be taking good care of them." Winry stated, rubbing behind the cat's ears.

"Good morning, Winry-san." Mason waved at her with his usual cheerful smile. "Nice to see you again."

Winry smiled brightly in return and looked towards the entrance of the house to see Sig Curtis in his usual stance. "Good morning, Sig-sama." She bowed slightly. He nodded to the girl, he always was a man of few words.

Winry turned to Riza and the others. "I'll be out in the field behind here, be back soon." She waved before running off.

In the house, Riza was sipping her coffee while watching Winry through the living room window when Roy joined her. "What's she doing?" He asked.

"She's visiting Izumi's and Wrath's graves." A deep voice answered from behind them.

They turned around to see Sig standing in the doorway. "She used to visit all the time and pay her respects to Izumi's grave until the war in Central... when she found out Wrath died…"

He walked up to the window and watched as Winry finished her prayer and stood up. "When she visited here last, she informed me that Wrath was dead. Although he was a homunculus, he was still technically mine and Izumi's son…" Riza moved the curtain aside and gazed out at her solemnly. "When she came back she asked Mason to help her put up a grave for him next to Izumi's. She said that deep down, he would've wanted it that way…"

For a few minutes the three watched as Winry picked a few flowers of all sorts and wrap them into an elegant bouquet.

"You know…" He continued. "Her and Izumi were the only ones who shared the same desire to protect that boy from harm. They really believed that he could've been saved… it's too bad they didn't spend more time together. They would have become good friends. Izumi liked her very much, just like her apprentices…"

His eyes softened a bit. "Afterall, Winry did keep the Elric brothers in line, almost as well as Izumi herself..."

Meanwhile outside, Winry was holding a bouquet and a single lavender in her arms.

"Well… I guess this is goodbye." She stated with a serene smile. "I know what I need to do… what Russell said about a new form of equivalent exchange… what Clara said about not giving up hope…"

She closed her eyes and tilted her head heavenwards. "I have to try… I have to do something… I can't stay here like this…" She turned her gaze back to the headstones. "I have to see Ed again… and Al… either they have to come to me, or I'm going to them… somehow…"

She stood there for a moment gazing at the stones, letting the breeze ruffle through her clothes and sweep the oversized coat gracefully in the wind. The wind worked its way into her hair and blew it along with her coat matching the rhythm flawlessly, making her whole persona seem ethereal. Any person walking through the cemetery would think she was some sort of holy maiden.

She placed the bouquet on Izumi's grave and the lavender on Wrath's along with the cherry blossom paper crane. Why a lavender? Well that's Winry Rockbell's little secret for now…

Winry started back towards the house with a small smile on her face. _'I guess I was wrong. They really do want to help me for my own purposes, not because I'm a friend of Ed and Al's. Same goes for the others back in Central…' _

She stopped and looked up at the sky once more, a whole wave of emotions coursing through her. "I don't know why, but I could never bring myself to hate you… someday, Ed… we'll meet again."

But the tears still wouldn't fall… they weren't even there.

_'Winry… what's wrong…?'_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** (insert standard disclaimer here) blah blah blah… 

By the way, I will probably only use Japanese suffixes in this story, no real words. After all, I'm not Japanese and I'm not going to pretend that I am. I'll leave that to the pros.


	6. Chapter 4: It's Not Our Place

**When The Icicle Melts**

**Chapter 4: "It's Not Our Place"**

The sun was beginning to dip into the horizon, its rays dissipating as the land was swallowed up by the night once again in the infinite cycle. The air was cool, causing the only one outside to wrap his brown overcoat tighter around his body as the night breeze brushed through his golden hair.

_'The days are growing shorter…' _He took note as the land glowed a few brilliant shades of reds and oranges. It was quiet, 'too quiet' would be what most people would say, but only those who had never travelled to this land before, and didn't know what went on at night in this now dismal place... Germany. It never used to be like this…

His amber eyes scanned the area as he trudged up the dusty road. He caught a glimpse of an elderly man scurrying down the same path on the open plains in front of him, in a hurry to reach his home before the sun set completely. The elder paused briefly to bow at him, he who returned the gesture with a quick nod. Even in times of crisis, one should still act civilized.

He picked up his own pace as he caught sight of his temporary home which was merely an abandoned house with a wine cellar that wasn't visible on the outside. Well, the house shouldn't have been abandoned, but its former residents had been taken away…

He paused and headed towards a picket fence surrounding the property and leaned up against it.

He wasn't ready to go home, not just yet. For he knew if he did, it would all start again, the same nightly ritual of trying to protect his few friends from those sick bastards…

But who was he kidding? He was only delaying the inevitable.

"Nii-san…" A quiet voice sounded from behind him. He tilted his head slightly to meet with the silver eyes of his younger brother, Alphonse Elric. "... it's almost time…" Ed nodded and led his kid brother into the house.

* * *

They entered the empty refuge and proceeded directly downstairs into the wine cellar. Al grabbed a box and stuffed some supplies in it that would last the night. When they reached the bottom of the wooden steps, Ed pushed open the heavy cellar door and walked inside. 

The three occupants of the room looked up. They first noticed Noa, their Gypsy friend, sitting on one side of the cellar. She had her arms wrapped around her legs with her chin resting on her knees. Her eyes lit up when Ed looked over at her. "Ed…" She half-smiled. He smiled briefly in return before glancing over at their other two Gypsy companions on the other side of the room.

Ed and Al both choked a little, they still couldn't help it, but it was to be expected when their new friends were the alternate versions of the Ishbalan, Scar and the homunculus, Lust.

Scar raised an eyebrow at their odd behaviour, but Lust just smiled sweetly at them and offered a small wave. Very uncharacteristic compared to the Lust the Elric brothers once knew. They never did tell them their real names, much to Ed and Al's disappointment, but it was safer in these difficult times for them to remain inconspicuous. So to the brothers, they were still plain old Lust and Scar.

Ed went over to the box of supplies, pulled out some blankets, and handed one of them to Noa, who eagerly accepted it. Then walked over to the other side of the room and handed the rest of the quilts to Scar and Lust. Meanwhile, Al took out some candles and started lighting them and began pulling out the food the three of them would need until morning, when it was okay for them to go back upstairs.

None of them said anything, only because they didn't want to arouse suspicion that there were more than just the two Elric brothers living in the house. More because the other people living there were Gypsies. They couldn't even go out during the day in fear that someone would turn them in for the 'good' of the country. So they were forced to remain indoors at all times.

Al was the one to break the silence. "We should go board up the door to the cellar again, Nii-san." Ed nodded went to locate the tools in the dim light of the cellar. Scar rose as well and gathered up the plywood. They took the supplies outside of the room and Scar went back into the basement.

After a brief 'see you in the morning,' Ed and Al began once again to board up the door making it appear as a dead end. Afterwards, they headed back upstairs and into the living room. Al collapsed on the couch and began his usual fiddling with the buttons of his jacket and nervous twitching. He just couldn't get used to this, but Ed could hardly blame him, even if Al's habits were a bit annoying.

Ed rested in the chair next to the front window. They had stumbled upon this house while seeking refuge in a small village outside of Munich. He leaned on his hand and looked around the room, it was quite bare now. When they'd first arrived, they found out that it was vacant when Al went to knock on the door and it creaked open with the momentum. The former residents were definitely Jewish, the entire living room and some of the other rooms had been littered with various Jewish ornaments and antiquities.

That would explain why they were no longer here…

He gritted his teeth at the thought of what events probably transpired when those poor people had been forced out of their own home and herded into the freight trains like animals, he had seen it many times before. It made him sick. Just because of one foolish man's intense desire for power and twisted way of showing dominance, the people would follow him like a bunch of filthy, spineless cowards.

He never would understand some of the people of this world.

Ed's thoughts ventured back to his three companions hiding in the wine cellar._ 'Is it really just because they're different?' _Ed thought bitterly and in slight astonishment._ 'The Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and the mentally and/or physically handicapped. They're all different compared to the typical Caucasian look, but what the hell is wrong with that? Everyone should be unique, that's what being human is about…'_

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard vehicles pull into the town square. Al immediately jumped up off the couch and rushed over to where his brother was and sat next to him on the floor. "Just calm down, Al." Ed told him as he placed his hand gently onto his brother's head.

They were silent for a few minutes until they heard a deafening noise followed by gunshots coming from outside. Then of course came the screaming. Al covered his ears and dipped his head down, trying to block out the sound. _'How can they do this? They're all humans, how can they do this to one another? What are their reasons, what could they possibly be?' _For he and his brother both knew…

Someone had been discovered.

They heard the screams of a young woman and the protests of a man that were abruptly put to an end after yet another gunshot echoed into the night.

Ed felt the vibration from his brother's trembling and began stroking his head. _'Al still has no idea just what happens to those people once they're taken away and where they go, but I'll never tell him, if I find it difficult to stomach, he definitely won't be able to handle it…' _

Rightfully, he shouldn't know what happens either, but back when it first began, Officer Maes Hughes had told him everything. _All _of the gory details. Although Hughes did contribute to the rounding up of the Jews, he was still an honourable man who was only serving his country through the best of times and the worst, and these were most definitely the worst. Not to mention being the alternate version of one of Ed's late best friends contributed to that natural trust.

But one place that Hughes told him about always stuck in his mind… Auschwitz, the primary concentration/extermination camp.

When people heard that name they would visibly cringe. By now, most people knew what went on there. Whether the people brought there were used as test subjects, being worked to death, or sent directly to the firing squad.

Ed inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. Even if it was against their own country's laws, some of the Germans still had enough morale left in them to at least attempt to protect and hide the ones they cared about, whether it be a friend or neighbour whom they had known for a long time. But usually their efforts were in vain, and their friends were carted away to their doom. Of course, any German people who dared to disobey the laws were executed on the spot.

It was the same routine every night for months now; hide the others in the wine cellar, barricade it, and act like they were hiding nothing while a different battalion would appear each night and run an inspection in order to remove any _'undesirable waste.'_

This was just the beginning of the plot of this worlds' Fuhrer who only coveted power and wanted to take over the world above all else. First he would invoke his 'final solution' which had already begun awhile ago, Ed knew what his 'reasons' were, he had read that man's book when he found it at a bookstand about a year ago.

Dietlinde Eckart had desired the same thing, but in the end, she got hers...

Suddenly a loud, but slow knock sounded at the front door three times. It was show time.

Ed rose from his chair and walked over to the door with Al on his heels. He opened it to reveal five soldiers, each with the Swastika, the symbol of the Nazi Regime standing out proudly on the shoulder of their coats. Among them in the background, Officer Hughes was idly standing by, he always made sure he was part of the team that came to Ed's house. After all, they were good friends and Hughes knew perfectly well that Ed was hiding his Gypsy friends in the basement and he didn't want them to get caught as well.

"(Step aside)." Ordered the soldier closest to the front in German. To the brothers, it might as well have been in gibberish and they would have had the same level of comprehension. Neither of them, not even Ed, had bothered to learn the language. Even though Scar, Lust, and Noa were predominantly German, they could still speak English as a second language.

Ed glowered at him with frigid hatred, making the soldier shift uncomfortably. "Look, do we sound German to you? And besides…" He turned his back to the baffled soldier. "What if I don't feel like it?" He challenged.

Hughes slapped his forehead in annoyance._ 'Why does he have to pull this every time?'_ He thought to himself.

The soldier seemed dumbfounded by Ed's blatant disrespect for authority. "Listen kid, do you want to die?"

Ed clenched his fists but Al held him back. "This isn't the time, Nii-san." He whispered.

Ed sighed and stepped aside letting the men begin their 'inspection.' Yes, it certainly was the same thing every night. He grimaced as the men carelessly tore the place apart, breaking everything in their path. When Ed and the others first arrived they had packed away all of the Jewish decorations and stored them in the wine cellar, but those damn soldiers still found something to smash every time. Hughes stood next to them acting like he was standing guard, but really he was just keeping them company.

One of the soldiers ventured downstairs and kicked the boarded up door. It sounded solid, much to Ed and Al's relief, giving it the appearance of just being an unfinished basement. So he didn't pay it any mind and travelled back upstairs.

Another soldier was in the kitchen going through their cabinets. He turned to the boys with a questioning look. "This is an awful lot of food for just two people, wouldn't you say?" He questioned in a thick German accent. Half the time the Elrics couldn't even understand what they were saying.

Ed turned his glare on the blonde behind him. Al gulped and concealed himself behind his brother even more, if that was possible. _'Ah man, I totally forgot to hide the rest of that stuff.' _He mentally scolded.

Luckily for them, Hughes was quick on his feet. "Um, the area is clear, sir!" He stood up straight. "No signs of any… _scum _here!" He managed to word.

The soldier looked baffled at Hughes' shaky outburst, but nonetheless, he shrugged and ordered the rest of his men to move on to the next house. Ed inwardly grinned, either these men were unbelievably stupid, or perhaps they hated doing this as much as the rest of the people. He decided it was probably the second thought.

The night lived on in the same fashion, but it was dead silent, aside from Al's constant shuffling. _'The Nazis have probably cleared out the whole town by now.' _Ed thought while smoothing the curtain aside so he could see out. _'Or perhaps some of these people have their friends hidden as well as we do.'_

Finally the sound of engines murmured signalling that the soldiers were moving on to the next town.

Like clockwork, four soft knocks sounded at the door in pairs. This time, Al went to answer it, for they both knew that it was Hughes, coming back to check on them.

Said man walked in and flashed them the best cheery smile he could muster. "That was close, huh guys?" He wiped his forehead with the handkerchief he always had stashed in his pocket.

"Sure was, Officer Hughes." Al smiled brightly with his hand still resting on the doorknob. "It was my bad, I-"

"It's always _your_ bad, Al!" Ed cut in, rising from the couch. "If you don't smarten up and take care of your responsibilities like everyone else, Scar and the others will be taken to that _place_ too!"

Al hung his head, concealing his eyes with his bangs. "I'm sorry, Nii-san." He choked out. "I'll do better next time, I promise."

Ed let out an exasperated sigh and silently walked over to his brother and draped a hand over his shoulder. "It's alright, Al. I'm sorry too. We're just all a bit stressed right now…" He said quietly.

Hughes looked at the brothers in tandem for a moment before placing a hand on each of their shoulders and pulling them gently back over to the couch and forcing them to sit. "Look guys, I know times are tough…" He rested on the coffee table in front of them. "But we can't turn on each other, things will look up."

Ed snorted. "Yeah, and when will that be?" He asked sarcastically.

Hughes smiled softly at him. "I know, what you're thinking, Ed, but trust me, things _will _get better." Al's sad expression twisted into a half-smile. It wasn't surprising that it would be this world's Hughes to find a bit of joy left.

The room fell into silence for the umpteenth time that night. "Well I don't know about you guys…" It was Hughes who once again, broke the uneasy silence. "But I'm getting out of this country." Both brothers looked up at him in perfect unison and Hughes almost laughed out loud. "Gracia and I have already talked about it, and we're fleeing from here. If you think things are bad now, they're about to get a hell of a lot worse."

"But where will you go?" Al asked him worriedly. "Germany has already closed off most of its borders and is under tight security, how will you escape? The Nazis won't hesitate to shoot anyone trying to leave."

"It will definitely be risky…" Hughes started. "But we have to try… I can't take this anymore." Ed gave him a look of understanding. Even if this Hughes was a Nazi, he was still a good man and just as kind-hearted as the Hughes from his own world. He had to give him credit though, for being able to handle it for this long. "Ed, I've told you what they do to those people, but those are just words, in reality, those atrocities are unparalleled by anything I've ever seen…"

Al looked over at his brother questioningly, but Ed just shook his head slowly, suggesting that he should drop the subject. Al turned his attention back to Hughes. "But you still haven't answered my question. Where can you go?"

"I've been doing some research on that lately. I snuck into one of our bases late one night and looked through the records. There are already a few soldiers and members of the Nazi party who have already fled. These are people who already know what the leader intends to do, and don't want to be a part of it…"

He paused briefly seeing a frown now present on Ed's face, he felt uneasy so he lowered his gaze to his hands. "In terms of where, well there are still a few countries in Europe that have not closed their doors to refugees like us. Like the neutral territories in the northern sector of Europe, and Great Britain: an island across the ocean not far from here." A small grin made its way into his expression. "Gracia and I thought that Britain would be a nice place to get married and… start a family."

He looked up at the boys expecting Al to be smiling and a teasing remark from Ed, but was surprised when he saw the frightened look on Al's face, he looked like he was going to be sick. Then there was the frown on Ed's face that had now escalated into a scowl with a hint of worry accompanying the façade. "What's wrong?" He asked.

Ed shot up from his seat and gripped the collar of Hughes' uniform. "I…" He dipped his head down. How could he tell him that this is the way his twin in another reality died. Mustang had told him it was because Hughes knew too much, by prying into restricted files. He didn't want that to happen again. "Just… you need to get out of here, Hughes, or something bad will happen. I guarantee it."

The brothers knew well enough that most events that occurred in Shamballa usually happened on Earth in a similar fashion and vice versa. However, some things didn't always come to pass, but why take the chance with this Hughes?

Hughes gave him a warm smile and gently pried his grip off. "Don't worry, Ed. I will." His expression turned serious for a moment towards the Elrics. "But what about you two? You need to get your friends out of here fast. Unless you want the same _things_ to happen to them. It's only a matter of time before they're discovered and shipped out to one of the camps." His voice low and intent.

Ed nodded. Because of what happened in his own world, he feared the most for this world's Lust and Scar. But perhaps he could change their fates in this world. By now, he had figured out that the alternate form of Ishbalins from his world were Gypsies in this one. Now similar events that happened in Shamballa like the Ishbal massacre were unfolding on Earth, except here it was being taken to a much more extreme level.

"Might I suggest you send them to the northern regions of Europe." Hughes suggested. "Finland would be a good choice, they are neutral and more then willing to accept coloured travellers. Afterwards, you two should come with us to Britain, as Caucasians, we won't have any trouble going there. As long as they don't discover that we're German-"

"We can't." Ed cut in abruptly. "There was another reason why I came back here. There is still the uranium bomb that got sent here, something like that doesn't belong in either worlds, and because of this whole Nazi ordeal, Al and I haven't had time to track it down."

Hughes inwardly grimaced. _'Here we go again, Ed's going off about this other world. Just like the day I first met him. There he was like a common drunk, starting fights with everyone in sight, and going on about some other world.' _He looked up to see Al trying to calm his brother, whispering something about it not being the same situation. _'At least he's gotten better since his brother came. I didn't think it was possible for a kid his age to have such a drinking problem.'_

"Well, anyway…" Hughes replaced his hat on his head and started towards the door. "Gracia and I are leaving tomorrow we will be laying low at the northern port until we can gain a safe passage. Perhaps we'll meet again."

Ed followed him to the door with Al in tow. "Bye Hughes-sama, tell Gracia-san I said hi!" Al gave a slight bow and a cheery smile. Hughes waved to them in return over his shoulder before Ed shut the door.

Al watched as his brother made his way towards the hall to his room. "Nii-san, what-"

"Get everyone's things packed, Al. We're leaving tomorrow at day break." Ed grabbed an empty tote bag and tossed it into Al's arms. "Also, pack any necessities that the others will need into those spare boxes." He motioned towards the empty boxes by the kitchen entrance.

"Where are we going, Nii-san?"

"To the northern port of course, Al. That's the easiest way we can get Noa and the others to neutral territories. We'll take the quiet roads up there, it's safer that way…" He picked up his empty suitcase and headed to where he and Al stashed their belongings and started throwing in anything within his reach. "After I finish here, I'm going to try to find some means of transportation to the north. Don't expect me back till morning, and tell the others."

Al held the bag close to his chest. "Whatever you say… be careful, Nii-san." Ed gave him a small smile before slipping out the front door._ 'Don't_ _do anything rash…'_ He silently added.

Al looked around the empty room for a moment. There wasn't much in the way of supplies, just the food he had bought in town earlier. Nobody had a change of clothes, and he was still wearing the grey coloured blazer and slacks that used to belong to his German twin, Alfons Heiderich. His hair had grown back out again so he had it tied up in a ponytail that was a bit shorter than his brother's.

He went into his and Ed's room and packed anything that his brother had missed in his haste into the tote bag, then proceeded to pack up the food into the boxes at lightening speed. It was really quite the spectacle to see him organize everything perfectly by the front door in one shaded blur.

He then grabbed a crowbar, hidden in the bottom of a closet, that they used to pry open the boards of the cellar after every night, and ran down the stairs two at a time and jammed the bar in and lifted off the wooden planks. He flung open the door and rushed in only to collide with Scar, who thought that one of the Nazis were trying to break in.

Al was knocked onto his backside while the impact didn't falter Scar's balance in the least. He was holding a lead pipe in a striking stance. Al started flailing his arms around. "Wait, it's just everyone's Al! D-don't kill me!"

Scar's eyes widened and his grip on the pipe loosened causing it to hit the floor. "Fuck kid, don't startle us like that." Al scratched the back of his head and looked up at him with a sheepish grin. Scar looked down at him with an icy expression for a moment before letting a small smirk cross his face and offered his hand to the paralysed boy, who gratefully accepted it.

"Are you alright, Al?" A soft yet seductive voice asked from behind Scar. Al titled his head to the side to see Lust step out from behind him. "You scared us half to death, we thought for sure it was those soldiers making all that ruckus upstairs." She said as she meandered her way over to the boy.

Al's grin got wider as he shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Uh… well… that was all me… sorry guys."

Scar grunted at him and walked over to reclose the cell door. Lust smiled down at Al and placed a gentle, reassuring hand on his shoulder. "That's alright, hun."

Al grinned up at her but his face twisted up in slight concern when he realized that someone was missing. His eyes scanned the area until he spotted Noa in the corner of the large room trying to conceal herself under her blanket behind a utility rack. "Hi, Noa. Are you' okay?"

Noa edged out from behind the shelves with the blanket still wrapped securely around her shoulders. "I'm… just fine, Al. Thank you." Her eyes saddened as she looked around Al. "Where's Ed?" She asked worriedly.

Al's eyes widened when it dawned on him why he came down here in the first place. "Nii-san… he left, and I was upstairs packing some things."

"What for?" Scar walked in front of Al and crossed his arms.

"Nii-san says it's time for us to leave. It could be our last chance before the worse comes." He walked over to the centre of the room and picked up the box of supplies and gathered up the blankets. "He went out to look for some form of transportation for all of us, he'll be back by morning." He headed for the door and started up the stairs. "Come with me, we'll wait for him outside."

Scar and Lust nodded and followed the boy out with Noa closely behind.

* * *

A few hours later, dawn came, and once again the entire land was engulfed by the brilliant yellows and oranges of the early morning light. Yet the countryside was still as quiet as the night. The only ones out were Al and the rest of his group, still waiting on Ed's return. 

Al was completely distraught and looked about ready to have a semi-nervous breakdown. And his constant pacing and nervous fidgetting didn't go unnoticed.

"Alphonse, would you knock it off, that isn't going to bring him back any faster." Scar mumbled through clenched teeth.

Al immediately halted his actions in mid-stride. "S-sorry, I'm just worried about Nii-san. He should have been back by now." Al stated quietly as he gazed off into the horizon.

"I just hope he didn't do something stupid, like getting himself arrested."

Noa's eyebrows knitted together in distress as she sucked in a sharp breath and looked over at Scar. _'How could he even think something like that. Ed has to come back.'_

Al wasn't too happy about the statement either, but what Scar said was true though. Ed always did have the tendency to get into trouble with the law. But really, could he have picked a worse time?

Lust looked at each of them feeling that the tension was layed on just a bit to thick. "I'm sure Ed is just fine, Al." The blonde lifted his gaze to meet with Lust's. "That boy is the most resilient I've ever see, he'll find a way." Al looked into her beautiful brown eyes which seemed to almost hue purple in the early morning light for a moment then smiled at her in agreement. The older nomad woman always did have a way with words.

"By the way…" Lust added as a change of topic. "Where exactly are we headed?"

"Oh right, I forgot to mention it, sorry again everyone." Al rubbed the back of his head. "Nii-san said that we're travelling up to the northernmost port. From there, we'll find some way to get you guys out of this country and up to a place named Finland, they're willing to accept outcasts and other escapees."

Noa nodded until the first part of Al's explanation sunk in. "Wait a minute, Al. What about-"

"Hey guys, down here!" A voice rang out from the base of the hill.

"It's Nii-san everyone, let's go." He motioned to the others as they made their way down the old path.

At the bottom they saw Ed waiting for them. Beside him was a vacant old-fashioned vehicle that looked similar to the one Lust and Scar used to own before they abandoned it some time ago. They could already practically feel his temper rising.

"Ed!" Both Al and Noa called in unison as they bounded down the hill to greet him while Scar and Lust kept up the steady walking pace behind them.

Ed puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "Damn you guys are slow, hurry up!" He whined over-dramatically.

"Listen kid, I really wouldn't talk if I were you. How many times have we had to lug your sorry ass during our travels because of your endless complaining." Scar towered over Ed, trying to intimidate him.

However, the 'kid' wasn't so easily silenced. "Now look here _buddy_ maybe I wouldn't have to bitch if you didn't work us so frickin' hard!"

Scar smirked down at him and ruffled his hair a bit too roughly causing Ed to almost lose his balance. "You seem to be the only one complaing. What's wrong? Can't spare any blood, sweat or tears? As long as you're tagging along with us, we do things _my_ way."

Ed's eyebrow twitched. "Tagging along with _you_! You've all been following _me_ since the start! And besides…" Ed shook Scar's hand off and jumped back. "Who died and made you king of the whole frickin' world, huh?!" He raised a finger and pointed it directly at Scar.

Al tried his best to stifle his laughter, but it came out in little spurts. It was always entertaining to watch Scar get Ed all riled up, at least in this world it was all in good nature. It was astonishing to Al that Ed could get along with the alter of one of his enemies so well.

This really was an upside down world.

Lust placed her fingers on her temples and massaged them in irritation. "Can we _please_ just go already? Instead of standing out in the _open_ like this?" She added in annoyance as she climbed onto the back of the car, soon followed by Scar after he threw everyone's luggage on board.

Al turned to his brother. "So, Nii-san, where did you find something like this?"

Ed shuffled, a bit to suspicious to Al's liking. "Well, I kind of _borrowed_ it from our neighbours…"

Al cocked an eyebrow at him. "What neighbours?"

"The ones across town."

"Nii-san! You stole it from them didnt you?"

"Aw, Alll…" Ed whined and turned his back to him. "Just leave it alone, would ya?"

Al crossed his arms and faced the other way as well. "Fine, but _I_ get to drive because everyone knows you'd find a way to land us in a ditch in the middle of nowhere."

The irritation level in Ed shot up to a dangerous level, he knew he shouldn't have told Al about that, but he was still able to control himself. "Yeah, okay. Whatever." He muttered. He really wasn't in the mood for his _little_ brother's nagging today.

Ed looked on in annoyance as Al went around to the other side of the car and jumped into the driver's seat. He was just about to get in beside him when he felt a tug on his arm. He raised an eyebrow when he saw a hand grasping onto his sleeve and lifted his gaze to meet with Noa's dark chocolate eyes.

"What's wrong, Noa?" He asked in his confusion.

"Ed… it's just this… I…" Her eyes dropped to the ground, struggling to find the right words.

Ed looked back down at her hand and gently removed it. "Not now, but… later, alright with you?" He gave her a weak smile. Noa nodded and climbed into the back across from Lust and Scar while Ed jumped into the passenger seat.

* * *

The drive was quiet as everyone was exhausted from the lack of sleep as of late. Other than Al of course, who got a nudge in the ribs from his brother whenever he started to drift off at the wheel. 

Ed was leaning on the palm of his hand enjoying the passing scenery in his drowsy state. The ride was slow, exactly what Ed hated, but at that particular moment, he didn't really care.

In the background, he could hear the voices of Scar and Lust quietly chatting. Scar was always a man of few words even back in his own world. It was strange to hear him talk to someone so openly. He and Al would make the occasional crack about them behind their backs, for they could both sense a feeling of mutual affection between the two, despite the present circumstances.

In the moment, he recalled the time he had asked Scar what their story was. He had told Ed that he, Lust, and his older brother used to travel together. His brother and Lust had been lovers for a few years, that was until the whole ordeal with the Nazi party rising to power took place.

One night they had heard screaming from outside of their hideout. His brother said that he would go out and try to help whoever was in danger. Lust had pleaded with him not to go, she said that she had a bad feeling about all of it, but his brother told her that it would be alright, he would be back in a few minutes and they watched as his form disappeared into the night.

They waited for him, for hours, which turned into days. But he never came back. Ed inwardly assumed that he had been captured by the Nazis too…

Finally Scar was able to pull Lust away from their temporary shelter and continue on their journey, providing support and generally helping any travellers who needed assistance. Which was how they all met. Scar had told him that he promised his brother that if anything happened to him, Scar would look out for Lust in his stead.

Al had made an off-handed comment to Ed saying that the situation with Scar's brother and Lust was very similar to the one back in Shamballa, except slightly in reverse.

It would certainly explain the hint of sorrow always present in Lust's eyes even when she was smiling. She must miss him so much. It was still so strange to see her as a kind person when the Lust they knew was one of the Elrics' sworn enemies. Then again, that suggested nothing about the person she used to be as an Ishbalan.

Even so, she must've been kind to an extent, even as a homunculus, or Gluttony wouldn't have been in such a state of anguish and devastation after her death. She also helped buy Ed some time in his battle with Sloth by delaying Wrath, which ultimately lead to her demise. Ed knew that she was probably just following some sort of orders from Dante, but she was still, in a way, on his side. Even when Al temporarily turned on him.

It would be sad when they would all have to eventually part ways…

A break in the steady pace unceremoniously yanked Ed from his semi-conscious state when the vehicle hit a goffer hole.

"Al-"

"I know, I know Nii-san. I'm sorry, I didn't see it." Al looked over at his brother with a chagrined expression.

"Eyes on the road, Al."

"I know, Nii-san." Al reached up and rubbed his forehead in mental exhaustion.

"Both hands on the wheel, Al."

"I get it, Nii-san!"

And so that brief argument were the only words spoken in an audible tone for the majority of the trip.

* * *

The sun started to set after awhile, but soon everyone's attention was grabbed when the foulest and most degrading odour struck them like a ton of steel, even the stench wasn't too surprising. 

Ed glanced to the side as they passed by the border to Poland, a country that had already been overtaken by Germany, and it was also the location where the bulk of the Nazi's concentration camps were situated…

He caught site of some villagers near the border who were busy farming their lands, all the while pretending that nothing was happening. It never ceased to amaze him at how well the Germans could conceal their true emotions, but Ed could still sense their uneasiness.

After all, how can one ignore the truth when the evidence, in the form of decomposing human flesh, was seeping into their noses every time they inhaled?

He felt a chill creep up his spine at the mere thought that just a few miles away people just like them were being worked to the bone, and corpses were being thrown into mass open graves for the whole world to see. He swallowed the burning fluid that rose up in his throat, his feelings of disappointment in the human race crossed with white-hot malice escalating.

But what could he do? It wasn't his place.

The stench soon passed as they moved further north, away from the Polish border. The sun had disappeared behind the horizon as Ed began to drift off once again.

"Nii-san… Nii-san, wake up!"

He shifted out of his slouched position but didn't open his eyes. "What now, Al?"

He felt a firm hand grasp his shoulder, shaking it roughly. "Edward…" It was Scar. "… look up ahead."

Ed rubbed his shoulder and glared at Scar before turning his attention to the road. At the sight he yanked himself up into a full sitting position. The secluded road that he had told Al to take wasn't so quiet anymore. Up a few miles ahead was another vehicle, but up ahead of them was a group of people of mixed ethnics travelling up the same path.

Despite the situation, Ed grinned. _'So, my plan to stick to the side streets wasn't so original…' _He mused to himself. Just then, the car in front of them started to make its' way through the crowd. _'But they aren't going to get us.'_ For Ed knew what was going to happen…

"Nii-san… could you… do you think you could…" Al motioned towards the wheel.

"Sure, Al." Ed got up and manoeuvred around him and slid into the driver's side.

He scanned the area quickly to see that there was no way to slip past the crowd unnoticed, so they would have to either drive _through _the crowd or abandon the vehicle.

The car in front of them screeched to a sudden halt. As the crowd started to try and scramble aboard, all the while crushing the other passengers to death. Al stood up on the seat to try to get a better look on what was going on when a gunshot sounded and they saw the driver in the other car hanging limply over the side, with a bullet imbedded in his skull. Ed decided on the latter and slowed the vehicle to a stop, trying not to let the brakes squeak.

The shouts of the crowd grew louder as they fought amongst each other about who would get to take the now vacant vehicle. Soon more gunshots rang out as random bystanders started dropping. Luck had definitely walked out on them when one of the men holding a gun noticed the second vehicle and fired towards Al, who was still standing up.

It narrowly missed him, just grazing his left cheek. He cried out and clutched his face, the blood dripping down his hand. "Al, Get down!" Ed yanked the back of his jacket forcing him to the floor of the car. "Follow me." He hissed as he got down below the dash as well, and lead the way until they both dragged themselves out of the car and onto the ground shielding themselves from the ricochet of bullets still raining onto the vehicle.

On the back, the others stayed as low as possible until Ed yelled at them to follow. Noa was the first to jump to the ground and follow the brothers who were already headed for a side trail that lead into a gully. Scar helped Lust get down and sprinted after the three, easily catching up.

Just before the entrance to the ravine, Noa tripped over an uprooted stump and hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of herself.

Ed halted upon hearing Noa's strangled cry, as did his brother. "Noa!" Al called out.

Coming up from behind the fallen girl was Lust and Scar. Lust, being the swiftest anyone had ever seen, grabbed hold of the scruff of Noa's dress and yanked her up without even stopping, and pulled her along by the wrist.

The Elrics waited at the entrance to the path for the others to catch up when Ed saw the glimmer of a pistol in the moonlight like a hidden blade in a requiem, aimed at the back of Scar's head.

He really didn't know why he did it. Isn't he supposed to hate this Scar as well? No, because not even the Scar he once knew murdered for the thrill of blood shed or was even remotely an evil man. Before he knew it, he leapt forward and shoved Scar out of the way just as the discharge rang out. Unfortunately for Ed, before he got back down the bullet struck him in the left shoulder. He had a fifty percent chance, but he lost as it hit his flesh arm.

"Nii-san!" Al cried out. Noa opened her mouth to call out to him but Lust tugged on her arm roughly to silence her. The last thing Ed needed was everyone mollycoddling him. Noa tried to twist out of Lust's grasp, but she was no match for the older woman's strength as Lust started pulling her down the overgrown path, concealed in the trees.

"Just… go… Al!" Ed managed between laboured breaths, trying to ignore the searing pain on his person. "Lead the others down the path and up to the top of that hill." He nodded towards an uprising in the earth, only a few miles from the entrance.

Al stood there looking at his brother's wound with intangible worry. "It's okay, Al. I'll be right behind you and the others." Ed gave him the best reassuring smile he could muster. Al didn't look convinced, but turned on his heel nonetheless and bounded after the two women.

"Foolish kid, you have your whole life in front of you, and you waste it on an aging man."

Ed looked up to see Scar's form hovering above him. He snorted. "Whatever, it's only a flesh wound. Trust me, I've had _much _worse." He forced himself onto his feet while gripping his shoulder tightly, trying to stop the flow of blood and started down the path with Scar following a bit behind.

They reached the summit of the hill Ed had told Al to take the others to. The screams and occasional gunshots were still reverberating from below. They paused briefly and took one final look back. From their vantage point, they had a perfect view of the morbid scene below. The shriek of a woman's voice echoed into the night followed by that of a young child's. Ed gritted his teeth. _'So, it has finally come to this…'_

Another man, also wielding a pistol, ran out in front of the slow moving vehicle and shot the driver twice in the chest followed by a third for 'good measure,' then dumped the man's body on the side of the road and forced his way into the driver's side, determined to take control, until he was done in by another lunatic. And so the cycle continued as the blood bath increased in the peoples' mass turmoil.

Ed's eyes shifted back to the vehicle that was in front of the one he and the others had been occupying. It had been destroyed beyond recognition by the people, showing no evidence of its' original shape. _'They would rather completely demolish their only means of escape then try to get a grip on their humanity.' _He thought in partial disbelief. Yet a part of him wasn't surprised. Afterall, he had witnessed all of this before.

"It's astounding..." Scar observed. "Human nature never ceases to amaze me. In times of crisis, it's ironically mankind's unfailing ability to lose themselves and turn on each other that causes the most damage."

Ed nodded solemnly. "My thoughts exactly. Some warped form of survival of the fittest, I suppose."

They turned their backs to the self-inflicted tragedy and continued following the path until they spotted a dim light permeating from the other side of a sea of trees. _'That's probably Al...' _Ed presumed. They stepped out into the clearing, proving his assumption to be correct.

Al was the first to notice their arrival and leapt to his feet. "Nii-san! You're here!" He stated in relief.

"Yeah… Al." He whispered absently as his gold eyes scanned the area quickly. In the centre of the clearing was a fire Al had started, the sleeping quarters had already been set up and Noa was setting a pot filled with water onto the flames. But Lust was nowhere to be found…

Noa turned upon hearing Ed's voice, her eyes glimmering with joy, but upon seeing how bad Ed's bullet wound had gotten her hand shot up to muffle her gasp. "Ed… are you hurt?" She extended the same hand towards him, but he backed away from her causing her to retract her hand in surprise.

"… I'm alright… I…" His strangled reassurance was cut off when a sharp pain surged up his arm as he fell to one knee.

"Ed!" Noa, followed by Al, quickly rushed to the weakened boy's side and tried to help steady him.

Not a moment after, Lust emerged from the forest carrying a pouch full of various herbs, leaves, and other such foliage. Her eyes rested on Ed's wound, analysing it like a modern day doctor. She could have easily passed off as one in this era, her knowledge on herbs and remedies was vast.

"Step aside." She ordered Al and Noa in a cool, collected tone. Now was not the time to panic, especially when the already substantial amount of blood loss was increasing by the second. It wasn't fatal, but it could do permanent damage if not properly taken care of.

She walked over and knelt in front of him, and opened the pouch. But when she pulled out a small knife from her pocket, Al and Noa nearly swooned.

"What are you doing?" Noa wailed, already emotionally drained by the recent events.

"Before I can cleanse it, I need to remove the bullet from his arm." She stated plainly. "Or would you rather that we leave it and let it get infected to the point that it will need to be amputated, leaving him with no real arms?" She paused and looked up at Noa through the corner of her eye.

Ed was a little stunned that Lust had figured it out. Afterall, he hadn't shown his arm or leg to her or Scar yet. But at the same time he wasn't surprised, they were both very cunning.

Noa swallowed the sob that was threatening to escape and shook her head. Al didn't like it much either, but knew that letting it prolong would only lead to Lust's prediction.

Al walked over to his brother to offer his support. "Don't, Al." Ed whispered through gritted teeth.

"Nii-san! Stop trying to act so tough! I'm only trying to-"

"Alphonse…" Scar placed a hand on the slightly angered boy's shoulder. "He wants to do it by himself, just let him be."

Al let out a sigh as worry once again became his dominant emotion. He and the others looked on as Lust brought the blade towards the bloodied surface of Ed's arm and tore into the flesh. Ed tilted his head back and dug his hands into the dirt, but didn't cry out once. Afterall, this was nothing compared to automail surgery.

Lust had finally made a wide enough hole in order to remove the bullet without causing further damage to the ligaments and quickly, but gently, pried the bullet out.

She then grabbed a few different types of leaves and warmed them in the palms of her hands, causing them to stick due to their inner juices and placed it onto Ed's shoulder. She then picked up a washrag and ripped a smaller strip off with her teeth and tied it around his arm and the organic antidote.

Ed was mesmerized at the way she worked, it was so quick yet so precise. Lust gave him a pat on his other shoulder and told him to get some rest before she went over to her own makeshift bed to turn in for the night. Not one more word passing between anyone.

* * *

Ed lay awake staring up at the starry sky as the others slept, trying his hardest to stay awake. That would probably seem odd to most people. Who doesn't feel content to climb into bed after a long strenuous day and be engulfed in the sanctuary that was sleep? Before journeying across the gate for the second time, Ed would have thought the same thing. But not anymore, for he knew what would happen. He knew that he would dream, and what or better whom, he would dream of. 

He raised his automail arm and flexed the hand in front of his eyes. After everything he and Al had gone through to try and restore their bodies, he never once thought about wanting to fix his own. And now that Al was back in the flesh, he knew their quest was complete. Al had protested about wanting to somehow get Ed's real limbs back, but Ed had simply shook his head and told him that it was better this way.

To fix everything would be like concealing his own mistakes, as if they'd never happened, and if they never happened, neither of them would have learned anything and wouldn't have shaped out to be the way they are now. Complete with the knowledge, awareness, and fortitude from life's many trials.

Attempting human transmutation wasn't Al's idea in the first place, and although he did go along with it, he shouldn't have had to suffer from the consequences more than Ed. Besides, after having automail for so long, Ed had grown accustomed to it. To him, they may as well have been his original limbs, he would have had the same feeling towards either of them anyway.

His eyes scanned the surface of the arm, taking in every little detail of the carefully shaped craftsmanship. Winry always was a perfectionist, especially when it came to her automail orders. _'I can't believe she did this for me... how does she always manage to make it look so easy?' _He thought in slight befuddlement and admiration for his friend's gifted ability. _'Why did she do it? How the hell did she know I would be coming back, and how did she get my exact measurements right?' _He bombarded himself with questions, his only answer being a pounding headache.

He shook himself out of his monologue and focused on his arm once more. He noticed a smudge on the arm's wrist, so he ripped a small piece of cloth from his makeshift bandage, moistened it inside his mouth and started to shine the surface of it with a hint of pride.

Unbeknownst to him, he wasn't the only one awake at this hour. Opposite of the campfire, Noa had been watching him with her bangs hiding her eyes so that she could still see him, but he had no idea that she was still up.

* * *

Noa looked on as Ed continued to polish his metal arm as best he could. She had never seen anything like it, he always kept it covered with his long sleeved coat and gloves. It is was an amazing contraption, it can help the lives of so many… 

Automail… that was always such a touchy subject with Ed. She had asked Al why that was and he told her it was because someone who was special to them both had given them to Ed...

_**...Flashback...**_

_I watched as Ed walked back into his room in one of our temporary homes and shut the door behind him without another word. What did I say? I only asked him where he had gotten his new arm and leg from. I didn't mean to spy on him, but I saw him without his shirt on and saw the glimmering steel. So naturally, I asked him about it. He never had a problem when I asked about his old cheap ones._

_I heard someone clear their throat from behind me, I turned slightly to see his younger brother Alphonse looking at me sympathetically. My god, he looked so much like Alfons Heiderich, but I had to remind myself that he was only his alter. I still found it hard to believe that there was another reality in which everyone had a twin in the corresponding world. But Al was living proof of that fact._

_I realized I was still staring at him as he raised his eyebrow in mock confusion. I could tell he knew what I was thinking. "Can I ask you something?"_

_He smiled politely and nodded. "Okay, shoot." He's definitely more polite than his brother._

_"What is so special about automail? I asked him about his prosthetic limbs before and he didn't mind answering. What makes these ones so special?" I asked as I glanced back at the door Ed had just disappeared into._

_Al followed her gaze and let out a sigh. "To be honest Noa-san, I don't really know..." I looked back towards him. "I'm usually very in tune with Nii-san's emotions, but this one has me baffled. I've never seen him this way..."_

_We were silent for a moment until he continued. "I have a theory though… maybe it's because when he briefly came back to the world I'm from, the return uprooted many old memories, including the ones he wanted to forget. And maybe seeing how much everything had changed took a toll on him." _

_"But that doesn't explain why he gets so defensive when people ask him about this arm and leg." I protested._

_"That's easy, because those fake ones you're talking about weren't made by Winry-chan." He stated as if it was the most obvious answer._

_My heart skipped a beat when I heard the familiar name. "Who's that?" I asked. Maybe now I would finally find out about the woman who was always on Ed's mind at nightfall._

_Al's eyes widened as he sheepishly grinned at me. "Sorry about that, you don't know... Winry-chan is our best friend since childhood." He went on describing Winry's looks and occupation to me. He spoke of her so fondly. By the time he finished my eyes had widened as I realized that she was the exact same Aryan girl I saw in Ed's dreams when I gazed into them that one night._

_Al's once proud eyes saddened when something seemed to dawn on him. "Actually, to tell the truth. That isn't what I think is really bothering him." I tilted my head to the side, practically begging him to continue. "You see, when he first came back to our world, I made sure that Winry was the first person he saw, I thought it would be best that way. They shared a brief moment together before a friend of hers and I caught up with them."_

_He lowered his gaze to the ground. "You see, Nii-san has never shown much interest in other girls, only on a few occasions. Winry and I are the only ones who he'll act his true self around. He can actually be easy going at times, but to everyone else, he either acts obnoxious or somewhat subdued in some cases." I nodded, the latter was always the way he acted towards me. "I think Nii-san's really growing up. He's starting to gain a sense of sentimentality… in this case, her automail, because he feels those will be the last ones he'll receive from her."_

_I twirled my braids mindlessly, taking in what Al had said. So my suspicions were right, she was someone who was close to him. "She's the one who Ed dreams about every night, even in the time before you came here…" I stated quietly, more to myself than Al._

_He nodded anyway. "That's right. I noticed it too, but since he saw her last time for a short while, he started acting this way. I think it's because now that Nii-san's matured a bit, he's starting to feel overwhelmed with all these emotions he's never felt before and he doesn't know what to do with them, and now that our quest has come to an end, he's starting to gain other priorities…" _

_He smiled slightly. "... or perhaps I'm giving him too much credit and reading too much into his actions." He chuckled softly._

_Before I could say anything, we both heard a door slam and to both of our surprise, saw Ed leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, practically glaring a hole through Al, making him shift uncomfortably. _

_Yes, it definitely was a touchy subject with Ed, but judging by his expression, Al's theory was right on the money._

_**...End of Flashback...**_

Noa looked back at Ed to see that he had finally fallen asleep. She sat up so she could get a better view of his expression, but to her immediate shock it looked troubled. She wanted so much to go and see what was bothering him, but it would be an invasion of his privacy, and he would never forgive her if he found out.

Despite the fact that part of his expression was dark it still held a predominantly dreamy look.

"Winry…"

Of course, she wasn't surprised to hear that come from him. _'I hate feeling this way, but I can't help but feel jealous, but how can I really despise her? I've never met her and for all I know, she could be the sweetest girl in the world. Especially judging by Ed and Al's reactions.'_

"Sounds like Nii-san's dreaming…" Noa looked over to see that Al had awoken, but was still lying down with his arms folded behind his head, looking up at the stars.

"Yeah…" She replied. "Hey Al, have you noticed that Ed has been trying not to fall asleep lately?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I have… I tried asking him, but he always changes the subject. I guess you're just noticing it now, but actually this has been going on for a little over a year. Several months after we arrived in this world."

Noa raised her thin eyebrows at the new piece of information. _'How did he keep it hidden for so long?' _She wondered.

"It has me really worried..." Al continued. "Nii-san has the feeling that something bad has happened or will happen back in our world, and I know it has something to do with Winry, or he wouldn't be so anxious and stressed out all of the time, but he doesn't believe it could be a premonition…" He trailed off, still not tearing his eyes from the twilight.

Noa glanced back once more at Ed to see that his façade had not changed, and beads of sweat were now dripping down his forehead. Picking up a rag, she moved over to his side and wiped them off before settling back into her own bed and eventually, fell back asleep.

The only audible sound being his voice calling out Winry's name softly as the night lived on.

* * *

The next day, the group continued on foot to the northern port, along the way they discovered two people hiding in the bushes near their camp, a Jewish boy and girl in their mid-teens, who turned out to be identical twins. When they found out where Ed and the others were headed, they had asked if they could tag along, and surprisingly, Ed agreed. But then again, he was aware that the Nazis would just love to get their filthy hands on twins, they were especially interested if they were identical… 

Ed and Al were walking a bit ahead, while the others trailed behind in a group. Noa's thoughts still lingered on what Al had told her about Ed's recent attitude. She still didn't understand why this was bothering Ed so much.

She cast her gaze downward. _'Childhood friend… right. Anyone can tell that he's in love with her…' _She thought sadly.

Noa raised her deep brown eyes towards the back of Ed's head, from her angle she could see his golden eyes narrowed in determination. _'If he cares about her so much, why didn't he tell her? Why weren't they ever together? What was stopping him…?' _She gazed into the corner of his eyes, hoping that the answer would pop out.

Noa's eyes widened, then saddened again as a thought crossed her mind. _'Could it be that… he _did_ tell her and she… rejected him…?" _She looked deeply into Ed's eyes and could almost detect a hint of sorrow within his molten orbs. _'She didn't return his feelings… she didn't love him?' _She thought in despair, as though completely abashed by the mere possibility.

She averted her eyes back to the ground. _'But maybe I'm not being fair, by judging her like that. Maybe it's not like that, and he just never got a chance…'_

She was snapped back to reality when everyone halted suddenly and she almost walked into Al.

"Well, we're finally here…" Ed stated.

The group of seven quickly surveyed the area. The northern port was heavily guarded by soldiers, this would definitely be tricky.

"Hey, Nii-san…" Al whispered, trying not to draw any of the guards' attention. "How do you propose that we get everyone onto one of these boats without being seen?"

"Now that I already have figured out…" He stated, not bothering to lower his voice. "You see that lone ship on the easternmost dock?" Al looked over to where Ed was pointing and nodded. "Well, Hughes told me that it belongs to the Danish people, and they use it to help people flee to the neutral territories. There is some good left in this world…"

Al nodded once more. "But why would the guards let it depart? Why wouldn't they shoot the passengers for trying to escape?"

"They don't know that it belongs to Denmark. To the Germans, it's simply another one of their own ships used for spying on other nations. It leaves at six o'clock in the evening, which leaves us with about…' Ed looked up towards the setting sun, trying to figure it out the old-fashioned way.

"How much time to we have, Nii-san?" Al questioned, a bit suspiciously.

"Uh, about five minutes…" He replied sheepishly.

Al shook his head in disappointment. "You really didn't think things through, did you?"

"Hey! I didn't exactly plan for us to get hijacked, then have to travel by foot the rest of the way, Alphonse!" Ed looked back towards the group and motioned for Scar to come over. "I need you to lead the others behind the barracks on the right side of that ship-"

"You mean the starboard side." Al corrected with a teasing grin.

Ed shot him a glare before continuing his directions. "From there, wait for my signal before sneaking on board."

"What's the signal?" Scar inquired.

Ed thought for a moment but came up blank. "I don't know, you'll know it when you see it."

"In other words, Nii-san has no idea." Al stated, as if translating. Ed grimaced, but didn't have a comeback while Scar nodded and returned to the rest of the group.

"And what are _we _going to do?" Al asked.

"_I _am going to distract the guards, now that security has lessened, and _you _are-"

"_I _am going to be right there helping you, so don't even try to keep me out of danger. Haven't you realized that if it never worked before, it's not going to work now?" Al stated with a smile. Ed looked at him for a moment as if to protest, but thought better of it and motioned for Al to follow.

"It's going to be difficult without alchemy." Ed said as he quickened his pace, straight for the small battalion.

"We'll find a way, we always do." Al replied, matching his brother's strides in perfect unison.

One of the soldiers turned. "(Hey, you! Get out of here, this is a restricted area)!"

Ed grinned maniacally as he rolled up his sleeve and started charging at the soldier with Al right on his heels.

The soldier didn't even have time to pull out his rifle before Ed punched him in the jaw with his automail fist. The soldier cried out as he clutched his limp jaw causing the other soldiers to look up and begin to open fire on the boys with little success. Agility was definitely on the Elrics' side.

On the sidelines behind the barracks, Scar and the others looked on. "Do you suppose that's his signal?" Lust asked him with a slight smirk.

"I'd say so." Scar rose and guided the others towards the dock and helped them all aboard. Thankfully, none of the guards had noticed them as they were too preoccupied with the first distraction.

In almost no time at all, Ed and Al had knocked the few soldiers out cold, being careful not to kill them. Afterall, they too were just following orders. "Well that was surprisingly easy." Al rubbed the side of his head, he hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Yeah, but we've been in battles with robots, chimeras, the homunculi and even the military in our world. Stuff like this is just not worthy of our skill." Ed stated while dusting off his hands.

They turned to see that the only ones still on the dock who hadn't been laid out was Scar and Lust, who were waiting for them in front of the boat. "So, this is where we part ways." Scar stated.

Ed and Al walked up to them. "You knew that we never intended on coming?" Ed asked.

"We are aware of your situation. That you're not from here, but from another world." Lust replied. "We overheard you two talking about it, and we have no reason to refute the idea that there may be an alternate reality, parallel to this one."

Ed and Al exchanged a look of bewilderment, but weren't surprised they had figured it out. Afterall, they did know that Ed's left leg and right arm were fake without much of a hint. It was the slight difference in sound when he walked was all they had said, and his overcoat didn't always completely conceal his arm.

From onboard the small boat, Noa couldn't believe what she was hearing. They had to come! _He _had to come! She ran to the edge of the boat and looked up at Ed. "What do you mean? You have to come with us!" She cried as she outstretched her arms towards him.

"Noa…" Ed whispered, he turned his attention towards the Jewish twins. "What are you two doing? Hold on to her!" They did as he'd ordered, trying their best to restrain the broken Gypsy woman.

"If you don't want to go up north, that's okay. But please, take me with you this time!" Noa pleaded, trying to break free from the twins' grip.

"Noa, why are you doing this?" Ed asked in annoyance, he seriously didn't know why.

She paused for a moment before choking out. "… haven't you figured it out yet...?"

Ed's eyes softened a bit as he spoke gently, he didn't want to upset the girl any further. "Noa, you know why I won't… you've seen it in my dreams."

Noa's eyes widened. _'He knows_…_ but how?' _She wondered even though it truly wasn't relevant anymore. He was leaving and once he got his mind set on anything, nothing could ever change it. Realizing what a scene she was making she backed down from the edge slowly. She didn't want Ed's last memory of her to be like this.

Ed looked back up towards Scar. "I guess this is goodbye." He extended his hand towards him. Scar looked at him before letting a small smile pass as he accepted Ed's gesture for a moment before following Lust on board.

"Good luck on the rest of your journey boys. Don't do anything _too_ reckless!" Lust called over her shoulder as the twins helped them aboard.

As the boat started to pull away, Noa still couldn't tear her eyes away from the man she treasured so much. To her, he was the perfect man, one who never once differentiated people by their skin colour or showed any other form of racism.

Ed smiled at her weakly. He didn't exactly feel guilty, but he still didn't like seeing any girl so upset, especially if they were in tears.

Before the boat was out of earshot, he called out to her one last time. "It's going to be alright, Noa! Just remember this; you have a strong pair of legs, so why don't you use them? You have potential to do great things, don't let all of that go to waste!" Were his final words to her, the sentence that so easily slid off his tongue.

For he knew that none of them would ever meet again…

* * *

As the horizon disappeared from view, Noa collapsed on her knees. _'It's over... he's really gone…' _She leaned back against the side of the boat and brought her knees up to her chest. 

A part of her thought she would have eventually grown on Ed, and that he would have given up on Winry and settled for her. Yet the other part couldn't help but admire his devotion. She had thrown him countless signals, but he hardly even batted an eye. He was content living with the Aryan girl's memory then giving the idea of forgetting her a second thought.

It was clear, he had a home and it wasn't with them.

_'He must have subconsciously chosen Winry a long time ago… and that's why he doesn't show much interest in other girls…'_ Noa concluded to herself._ 'Besides, what man wouldn't be enticed by her looks? She's complete with celestial blonde hair, aquamarine eyes, and a smile so full of joy yet could still be serene, noble, and... innocent.'_

For a moment, Noa wondered how she could've even competed with Winry when innocence was a factor. Afterall, as a Gypsy, or better yet a wanderer with no money to support herself with, other than the meager amount she made as a fortune teller, she had been forced into prostitution at a young age. But of course, all of that changed after Ed took her in.

Noa tilted her head back and gazed up at the stars that were starting to materialize. Surprisingly, a small smile tugged at her lips, even as she finally admitted defeat.

_'... stand up and walk forward…'_ Edward Elric always followed this motto, and now she would too.

* * *

Ed retrieved his suitcase and rejoined up with Al. The two walked around the small town for a while being careful as not to be seen by some of the German soldiers who were suiting up and loading some sort of foreign ammunition into the combat planes. Obviously, this port was used as a launch pad and one of the country's aerial bases. 

Al's eyes studied the different weaponry in mild curiosity. "Nii-san… what's all that?" Al asked in his naïve innocence.

"Blitzkrieg warfare, Al." Ed answered with a hint of disgust. "The German Alfons told me about it. I have no idea where they intend to strike first, but I have my suspicions…. you see, the German army has divided its' forces: one preparing to go east, and one preparing to go west. It's difficult for them to do so because the country is already starting to divide in Berlin."

"Why_'s_ that?" Al asked.

"Too much civil unrest with the new leader." He stated plainly.

They continued walking in silence for a few minutes until Al spoke up again. "So Germany will start again?"

Ed nodded "Yeah, you were right, Al. There_'s_ going to be another big war in this world, and it's going to end far worse than the first."

Al dug his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Nii-san, do you still… you know… want to get involved?"

Ed chuckled softly. "I did say that before, didn't I? But…" His eyes narrowed. "I just couldn't bring myself to call this place my permanent home, not before or now. And I can't imagine either of us wanting to live on here. Especially with the Nazi leader's 'final solution' being invoked before the war has even started. When other countries find out what he's doing, it won't be pretty. Just like Hughes said."

"But that nutcase is going to kill all those innocent people!" Al protested. "Isn't there something we can do?"

"We can't change destiny, Al. It's not our world." Ed calmly replied. "So many countries in Europe and across the sea have already closed off their borders to refugees, but the people of this world will learn the hard way, when the results of their ignorance is catastrophic."

Al averted his gaze to the ground. "Honestly, how bad do you think it's going to get?"

"It's going to be bad Al, really bad, but we're not going to stick around for it. We don't have any leads on the uranium bomb's whereabouts, but as soon as we do locate it…" He turned to his younger brother and smiled at him. "We're going home, back to our world."

Al looked up at him and smiled in return. _'Finally…'_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** This little gem belongs to Hiromu Arakawa. 


	7. Chapter 5: Both Sides Were Against Me

**When The Icicle Melts**

**Chapter 5: "Both Sides Were Against Me"**

"Nii-san, wait up! Why are you in such a rush?"

Ed spun on his heel and faced his younger brother who had been lagging behind for the past fifteen minutes. "Al, you know why. We have work to do. We've got to come up with some kind of plan in order to find this frickin' thing already."

Al's face contorted in confusion. "Since when has dealing with things in an orderly fashion become one of your strong suits? Usually by now things would have come down to fists."

Ed narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about, Al? I've always been calm in _all_ situations."

Al turned so his brother couldn't see him trying to muffle his laughter. "Uh… sure… whatever you say, Nii-san." He managed in between.

Not oblivious to Al's feeble attempt to hide his amusement at his expense, Ed turned, muttering a 'whatever' and continued up the road, picking up his pace to spite his brother. He still didn't get what was so funny. After regaining his composure, Al of course, followed closely behind.

It had been approximately four weeks since they left the northern port on foot and arrived in the capital city of Germany... Berlin. It would have been easier for Ed if it had been Munich. He knew the area much better from when he first travelled there with his father, but the best place to start their search for the uranium bomb would be the capital.

"Nii-san, by now the bomb could be anywhere, the military here may already have it in their possession. How can we possibly find it now?" Al asked.

"I know that Al, but it's my fault things got out of hand when the gate was opened. So no matter what, I'm going to find it, even if I have to ask every person in this damn town." Al frowned at this, he hated it when Ed blamed himself for everything.

"But that will take forever..." Al whined pathetically, but he knew there was nothing else they could do. They could try sneaking into the primary base and finding out for themselves, but that would be suicidal. And they couldn't exactly walk up to one of the soldiers and ask 'do you know the location of a weapon that could potentially end the war before it even starts?' The outcome of that wouldn't be good for anybody.

There was one thought that lingered on Al's mind, even if he knew his brother hated it. "… maybe dad can help us…" He offered timidly, he still couldn't accept the fate of their father.

Ed exhaled deeply before trying, once again, to convince his brother to let go. "Al… he's dead, you know this. That's how the gate was opened in the first place. He gave up his life as equivalent exchange…"

Al hung his head. "I know… but I have this feeling… I don't know how to describe it, but it's a _really_ _bad_ feeling. You also said that when the gate was opened he was destroyed along with Envy… I just have a hard time believing that either of them could die so easily… especially dad…" He trailed off, knowing not to press the matter any further.

Ed didn't dare to look at Al's face, he knew it wasn't fair. After learning the reason why their father had abandoned them all those years ago, he was able to come to terms with things and reconcile with him to a degree. He did take good care of Ed for the brief time they were together on Earth. But he knew that he would _never_ forgive him entirely. Hadn't their father ever heard that family sticks together through thick and thin? But Al… he didn't care about all that, he just wanted to get to know the man that was their father, but he never got the chance…

Which made Al the only one of Hohenheim's offspring; technically three sons, who didn't despise him.

Deciding that it was time to change the mood, Ed halted his movement catching Al off guard and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey Al, what do you say we take a break now?" Al looked at him quizzically. Ed grinned and pointed towards what looked to be a pub. "How about you let your favourite older brother give you your first taste of adulthood?" He suggested, a wicked glint in his eyes.

Al's own eyes widened, he sure didn't like that look in Ed's eyes. Before he could protest, Ed started pulling him towards the entrance. "Nii-san, I really don't think-"

"Oh come on, Al. There aren't really any laws yet, so legal age is just about anything. Besides…" He turned his mischievous expression back to his slightly petrified brother. "Have I ever steered you wrong before?"

Al puffed out his cheeks. "As a matter of fact-"

Unfortunately for him, Ed had already yanked on his sleeve and before he knew it, they were inside the establishment.

* * *

Al looked around as his brother led him through the tavern. He was impressed by the interior of the place, it was dimly lit and soft jazzy music was being played in the background on a phonograph. It was fairly crowded, obviously being a popular club in that town. 

Ed pushed him down onto a stool at the edge of the counter and sat down next to him. Al's eyes studied the different labels on the many bottles of sparkling liquor. He had a bad feeling about this. The bartender hadn't noticed their arrival yet and was busy wiping down a glass with a cloth. He was an older man, but still looked fit for his age.

"Alright, Al. Now what should we start you with?" He asked, more to himself. "Hey barkeep! How about some service?"

The bartender walked over to them on cue without looking up from the glass still in hand. He glanced up at Ed for a second, then went back to what he was doing before whipping his head back up and jumping back a step.

"Holy shit!" His eyes widened like he had seen a ghost and the glass he was holding slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor. Whether it was because of the scene, or the fact that he spoke in English, it grabbed everyone's attention. "You look just like that kid…" He breathed.

Ed cocked an eyebrow, and Al opened and closed his mouth, debating on what to do or even say. After a few seconds, the bartender shook his head and went about cleaning up the shards of the glass. "Nah, it couldn't be… that kid was killed in the war…" He muttered to himself as the rest of the customers went back to what they were doing.

Realization dawned on Ed as he too relaxed, but Al was still confused. "What kid is that, sir?" He asked.

"The kid who used to come in here with his father everyday when they were off duty. They were both high ranking soldiers for this country, you know." He replied while disposing of the pieces and grabbing a clean glass from under the counter.

"You don't say…" Ed spoke in a dull tone.

The barkeeper stared at him for a moment before shaking his head for the second time. "Anyway, what can I get you?"

Ed seemed to be pondering on something before answering. "Tell you what... bring us each whatever that 'kid' would order, alright?" The bartender nodded before leaving to fill the order.

Al waited until the man was out of earshot before turning to his brother. "Nii-san, what was that guy talking about?"

"If my assumption is correct, he's talking about _my _alter." Al's eyes widened, he had never really thought about the fact that Ed would have an 'alter' like everyone else. "… and if I'm right, then we should have similar tastes." He added.

"That man also said that his dad came in here with him… do you think it could be…"

Ed shrugged. "Might be the alter of our dad, I guess that would explain some things. I think that when someone from our world travels here or vice versa, something happens to the existing 'twin,' so that both can't live in the same world."

Al nodded. "It's like someone or something in the gate knew that I would be coming here, and that's what happened to the other me, right?"

"Yeah, I guess…" He narrowed his eyes. "I hate the idea that all of this might be preordained." He shifted his gaze back to the bartender. "But now I'm curious…" Before Al could question him further, the bartender returned with their drinks and a bottle of whatever it was.

Ed picked up the glass in front of him and took in a whiff of the beverage. "Just as I thought, just the way I like it too, straight with two ice cubes." He set the glass down and looked over at his brother who was eying his own drink hesitantly. "Don't worry, Al. Try it."

Al studied the label on the bottle before shrugging it off and raised his own glass cautiously to his lips. Afterall, what difference would it make to him what kind of drink it was when he knew absolutely nothing about alcohol? He tilted it back and let the cool liquid splash down his throat. At first he didn't feel much, but no sooner had he thought that when the strangest, almost disturbing yet wonderful sensation flooded his insides causing him to screw up his face and almost fall off the stool.

"Are you alright, Al?" Ed asked worriedly.

Al shook the final chill out of his body and grinned up at his brother. "Never better!"

Ed didn't look convinced, but let it slide for now. "Alright Al, but just sip it. You haven't built a tolerance, so take it _slow."_ He couldn't emphasize enough. Al nodded and went back to his new found fixation.

"You're a Scotch drinker too, huh?"

Ed looked up at the bartender and shrugged. "Well, why not?" He always did like the taste, it helped him calm his nerves back when he was alone in that world.

"You knew that kid's favourite drink… how? Did you know him?" The bartender asked.

"Trust me, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. And yes, I guess you could say I did, in a way." Ed muttered.

The bartender looked at him quizzically but let it drop. It didn't seem like he would get anything out of his enigmatic customer. "By the way, the name's Geoffrey, or simply Geoff. What's yours?"

"Huh? Oh it's…" Wait, that might be a bad idea. It seemed that everyone's alter had the same name in both realities, and if the same went for his own twin, well that would throw the poor bartender over the edge. "Um, so… I noticed that you don't have much of an accent." He stated, opting for a change of topic.

"Yup, you see I came over from a continent on the other side of the ocean…" He grabbed another glass from the rack and began polishing it too. "Just never picked up on the language, never really wanted to." He stated bluntly.

Ed looked at him like he was a nut job. "But why come here? Haven't you seen what goes on in this country now?"

Geoffrey simply shrugged. "Some members of my remaining family still live here. They're quite young, so I decided to come here and look after them, until hopefully, things get better."

Ed's eyes softened a bit as he picked up his glass. _'At least it's for a noble cause...'_

He heard Geoffrey mutter under his breath before finally speaking. "What's with you kids? With the trends and whatnot. Just look at you and that other kid…" He nodded towards Al who was holding his drink with both hands in the middle of a gulp. "Bah, kids these days, they all look alike." He grumbled.

Ed snorted. "Yeah? Well that that's because the 'other kid' is my younger brother." He turned slightly to the side. _"idiot."_ He muttered in a not too inaudible tone, before finally taking a sip of his own drink.

The bartender smirked at his childish display. "Well, I suppose you and that dead kid don't look completely alike…" His eyes shifted down to Ed's feet which just barely touched the floor. "You're actually a few inches shorter than him-"

He cut off when Ed choked on his drink and smacked his own chest trying to regurgitate the liquid. "You alright, kid?" He asked, while Al was drumming his fingers nervously on the counter, anticipating his brother's next move.

Ed spit out his drink slowly and leaned back, closing his eyes. For a moment a silence filled the air that would have made any and all of his enemies shrink. Just as quickly as it settled in, the atmosphere was shattered when Ed's arm shot forward with reflexes that lived up to their reputation and yanked the startled man onto the counter.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TINY, MICROSCOPIC, MIDGET WHO-"

"Oh come on, Nii-san. We've _all _heard it before." Al cut in with an exhausted sigh. "Besides, aren't you a little old to be yelling like this?"

Ed seemed to be thinking over Al's point for a moment. "You're right, Al." He released the man's collar, and straightened his overcoat. He returned his menacing leer towards the still slightly dumbfounded barkeep. "What do you say we settle this like men?"

Geoffrey cocked a brow at him in question, and Ed's grin only widened. "Like this." He answered, removing his coat and rolling up his sleeves. He balled up his automail fist and connected it with his flesh hand for emphasis causing the bartender to flinch, probably because the fist meant for him was made out of steel.

Fortunately for the barkeep, Al was quick on his feet. "Come on, Nii-san, give the poor man a break. He doesn't know any better." Al pleaded. _'Most people you flip on don't.' _He silently added.

"No, Al. Did you hear what he said? He called me sh-short!" He looked around, spotting his glass he picked it up with the intent of smashing it over the man's face.

Al's reflexes proved to be just slightly faster for once as he jumped on his brother's back and attempted to pry the glass out of his grip, which proved to be more like a vice.

"Nii-san! Calm. Down. Please!" He succeeded in releasing the glass, but Ed picked up the Scotch bottle with the same slightly demented idea.

"NO, NII-SAN!"

"Damn it, Al! GET OFF!"

By this point, the scene had grabbed the attention of everyone in the saloon once again, and they were either leaving or cheering for whom they wanted to win.

However, the bartender wasn't too pleased with the 'show,' to say the least. "Hey, knock it off! You break anything and you're buying it!"

Ed turned his attention back to the bartender and smirked. "Oh yeah? How much would it cost to break your face?" The smirk grew into a maniacal grin.

Al's face changed to revulsion. "Nii-san, that's horrible!"

Geoffrey started laughing. "Oh I see, you don't like it when people call you _short_. Emasculating, is it?"

Ed turned beet red and started flailing his arms in a blur while Al tightened his grip into a sleeper hold, but really he was just holding on for dear life. Ed halted his movements when he felt a tap on his shoulder and whipped around with Al still dangling off his shoulders. "WHAT?"

The colour from Ed's face drained as did Al's, and they both turned blue. For the man standing in front of them looked a bit too much like Sig Curtis for either of their liking.

"If you boys don't learn to control yourselves, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Uh, sorry sir, we'll behave. Promise!" Al squeaked. The man stared down at them for a moment before returning to the table he was occupying without another word.

Ed lowered his arms and glared straight ahead at nothing in particular. "Al…" He murmured through gritted teeth.

"Uh… yes, Nii-san?"

"GET OFF!"

Al automatically loosed his grip and slipped off Ed's back and plopped back onto the stool. Ed sat down as well and finished off his drink which had been saved thanks to Al's interference. As he placed the glass back onto the counter he felt his stool shift, followed by the weight of someone hitting the floor near him.

He sighed in exasperation. _'Damn it, I'm surrounded by morons in this stupid place…' _He twisted around in his stool to see who it was, Al peered over Ed's shoulder to see what he was looking at.

The only thing they could see from their angle was a man with short spiky hair who had done a face plant on the floor. He was wearing a heavy fur coat and woolly gloves, which made him look like he came from someplace cold. The man looked up at them, and both brothers' eyes widened like saucers. The only difference they could see was this guy had navy blue eyes, but his hands were covered so they couldn't see the other obvious _difference_.

_'Oh no, not him.' _Ed inwardly grimaced.

The man picked himself up off the ground and turned to them with a half-sheepish, half-tipsy grin. "So'y 'bout tha'. I wasn' watchin' where I 'as goin'."

"GREED!" Both Ed and Al pointed in unison.

The man cocked an eyebrow. "We' sure, I wan' a few 'hings but 'ell! who doe'n't?" Ed rolled his eyes and leaned back against the counter.

The man seemed to be studying Ed's face until realization seemed to hit him like a ton of bricks and he jumped back. **"Half-breed!"** He yelled in an audible tone and pointed directly at Ed.

Ed and Al looked at him in confusion, but Geoffrey scowled and balled up his fists. "Don't you dare talk about that kid that way in any bar of mine, Jase!" He took a threatening step towards the swaying man.

Jase held up his hands in slight fear. "Whoa 'hill ou' man! We all know he was a 'urse."

He probably couldn't have said anything to anger the barkeep anymore, before Ed and Al could blink, Geoffrey's fist connected squarely with his temple, sending him toppling to the floor. "Maybe… but that's still no reason to ridicule him. He was a good kid." Geoffrey stated quietly.

Ed glanced down at Jase who was once again sprawled out on the ground. "Well, so much for him." Ed mused.

Al chuckled. "Now, Nii-san. Don't be too mean to the guy. Perhaps he has a…_ condition_."

Ed snorted and looked back up at the bartender who was now wiping down the counters like nothing happened. "What was all that about?" He asked in mild curiosity.

Geoffrey let out a sigh and stopped what he was doing. "I don't really see the harm in telling you. You're a good kid too, a little temperamental, but then again, so was he..." Ed opened his mouth with the intent of throwing another fit... or something at the guy, but decided to hold his tongue for once and let the man continue.

"You see… that kid… his parents originated from two different countries."

"So? What's wrong with that?" Ed asked. He was already sick of the racism in this world. Now it was evil if people came from different countries? What's the world coming to?

Geoffrey sighed again. "To me and some others, absolutely nothing. But, his bloodlines are split down the middle with two countries that are currently uneasy with each other… Germany and Russia." Ed raised his eyebrows in new understanding. "You see, his father was German, and his mother is Russian. So you can guess the problems that would arise, serving one country and having partial blood ties to the enemy."

Ed nodded. "So, what happened to him?" He had always been a bit curious about the life his 'twin' once led.

"He was killed on the front lines in the war that ended several years ago. He was a regular soldier while his father was a General, which is why he was even allowed in the military in this first place…" His eyes saddened. "A soldier who witnessed this on the battlefield came in here one night and told a few of us the story. He said that the kid's father saw him go down and he tried desperately to prevent his son's corpse from becoming defiled so he could prepare a proper burial. But in turn, he was shot from being out in the open…"

Ed felt a pang of guilt in his stomach. He couldn't help but wonder if his own father would have done that for him. He didn't think so. He glanced back down at Jase whose eye's were still swirling. "And what about him? Was he there too or something?"

Geoffrey snorted. "Nah, He's just here for the Vodka. He's actually a Russian as well." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Actually, I heard that kid's mom returned to Russia recently. She didn't have an easy time coping with the repercussions of giving birth to a 'half-breed' either…"

"Wha' was 'hat?"

Ed looked over at Al and was shocked and a bit annoyed to see his own brother having a difficult time even keeping his head up. He glanced over to where the Scotch bottle was and his eyes practically bugged out of his head when he saw that there wasn't a drop left.

He got up off the stool, picking it up to examine it, then at Al, then back to the bottle before placing it back on the counter roughly causing Al to jump. "Damn it, I told you to take it slow." Ed glared down at his brother who was holding his glass, still half full, against his chest like a baby. He didn't even want to know how many shot glasses Al had downed. "That's more than enough for you, Alphonse." Ed stated as he placed his hand on the top of the glass and easily removed it from Al's shaky hands.

"Aw, 'ome on Nii-'an." Al whined. "I was s'ill drinkin' 'hat."

Ed massaged his temples in irritation before walking over to retrieve his jacket which was still lying on the floor in a heap. Al's eyes widened as he tried to haul himself drunkenly to his feet. "Nii-'an, where a' you goin'? Don' 'eave wit'ou' me!"

"Time to go, Al." Ed stated and returned to his brother's side and lowered himself in front of him. "Get on." He coaxed, not too impressed with having to carry him.

"'kay." Al climbed, well more fell onto his brother's back and dangled with arms hung over Ed's shoulders limply.

Ed turned slightly to the bartender who looked slightly amused. "How much do I owe?" He asked as if it was the worst thing in the world.

Geoffrey smirked. "Nothing. It's on the house. I have a feeling you'll have enough things to worry about when your brother wakes up with a killer hangover. I suggest you get him into bed quickly. There's a decent Inn about a block from here." Ed grinned back. Truthfully, he didn't have much money left, definitely not enough for a hotel _and_ the drinks.

As Ed made his way over to the exit a thought popped into his head. "That kid…" He turned slightly to look at the bartender. "What was his name?"

"Uh… I think his name was Edward something." He placed a finger to his chin. "Oh, I remember! It was Edward Elric. Quite the aristocratic name if you ask me."

Ed smiled to himself and continued towards the exit without another word and picked up his suitcase. "Ugh, Al. You're heavy." Ed stated having a little trouble balancing his suitcase and his brother, luckily for him, Al didn't have any luggage.

"Ar' you sayin' I'm 'at?"

Ed rolled his eyes. "No, Al. Of course not." Ed made his way over to the exit, kicked it open, and proceeded outside into the cool Autumn night.

* * *

"I 'hink the s'ars are gettin' c'oser, Nii-'an." 

"No they're not, Al. It's just your imagination." Ed replied, not really paying attention.

They were sitting on a bench outside of the Inn Geoffrey recommended. Well, Al was lying on the bench in an awkward posture. Ed was counting the money in his wallet and discovered that the hotel would use up the rest of his money.

However, Ed's thoughts had been lingering on what Al had said earlier. _'What if he's right, and dad and Envy are still alive somewhere. I never really thought of that possibility…' _He was tapping his foot mindlessly against the pavement, which sounded more like thunder to Al's ears, as the alcohol's effects were starting to wear off slightly. _'It wouldn't be horrible if Dad was still alive… for Al's sake. But that PSYCHOPATH? It doesn't get much worse than that…'_

"Hi, gang!"

Ed looked up to see that the drunkard from earlier. Ed couldn't help but find it very fitting that the 'alter' of the homunculus, Greed, would be shut up in a bar all day. "What the hell do you want?" He asked not too interested, but he was pleased to hear that Jase was no longer acting like a fool and sounded more or less normal.

"Hey, that's not very nice, I just came out here to apologize. Geoff said that you weren't that kid." Jase looked at him oddly. "It's strange though, you look so much like him, I kid you not."

Without another word, Ed went back to his previous state, trying his best to ignore the presence of a person who already used to annoy him. Even if it was only technically Greed's 'twin,' Ed just couldn't bring himself to tell the guy off. He knew if it wasn't for the advice Greed revealed to him in his dying breath, all of the homunculi would still be alive, and Dante would have gotten her way. And being one of the first Ed had unintentionally murdered added to the whole guilt trip.

Afterall, Greed had been just another victim of Dante's perfectly knit web of lies and deceit.

"Hey, I got a juicy tidbit for you, buddy."

Sighing in defeat, Ed lifted his head and looked up at Jase who was wearing one of his mocking grins that Ed learned to despise. "Yeah, and what's that?" He asked in the same lazy tone.

"Well, as you can probably tell by my accent, I'm a Russian, and a former soldier for the Soviet Union..." His grin widened, if that was possible. "And I heard that the Soviets got their hands on a type of weapon that would put any county's primary missiles to shame. It's a u- something bomb. Neat, huh?" His face relaxed slightly as he flopped down onto the bench, on Ed's other side.

Spoke to soon. Now Ed knew that Jase wasn't himself. He seriously doubted that even this guy would give out that kind of top secret information if he was sober. But nonetheless, Ed was grateful for the slip of the tongue.

"Hey, Nii-… san…?"

Ed looked down at Al who looked about ready to fall asleep at any minute. "Yeah, Al? What's up? Finally able to talk normally, I see." He stated softly.

"… I was just wondering; why did Envy take on the form of a dragon, does he like them or something?" He asked as the most out of the blue question, probably in history.

Ed had to refrain from laughing. At this point, he felt like the only one not sputtering out nonsense. "Gee, Al. I really don't know." He scratched the back of his head, trying his hardest to humour his trashed little brother.

Jase looked over at Al like he was a mental patient. "What's he talking about? Is he wasted or something?"

Ed glowered at him. "It's none of your business, and besides, he's not totally out there." He grabbed onto Al's shoulders, trying to prevent him from falling off the bench in his dizzy state.

"Don't patronize me, kid! There's no such thing as dragons. They're a myth!"

Ed pulled a piece of blank paper and a pencil out of his suitcase and rapidly sketched his best impression of Envy's last form. "So tell me, have you seen anything like this around these parts?" He flipped the picture around for Jase to have a look.

Jase's mouth fell open as he pointed at the drawing. **"The Loch Ness Monster!"**

Finding no patience left in his already short supply, Ed reached over and smacked him on the back of the head.

* * *

Two days after that, the Elric brothers left the local Inn they were staying at. They couldn't leave the day before because Al was to busy trying to maintain his balance and cursing alcohol for the entire day. All the while, Ed wasn't helping much by chanting out the occasional 'I told you so' in a singsong fashion. 

That morning, Ed and Al left the hotel early. Al was back to himself with the slight bounce to his step. "So, what now, Nii-san?" Al asked.

"Now we're heading to the new lead we have on the uranium bomb." He replied.

Al halted his stride and stared at Ed quizzically. "What do you mean? What lead? Where was I for that?" He fired off similar questions quicker than Ed could process them.

"Uh…" He sheepishly grinned at him. "You were just a bit _preoccupied_."

Al squinted at him, trying to decipher the meaning behind Ed's vague words. He still couldn't believe he let his brother sucker him into drinking alcohol, but he couldn't remember what he did or said the night before. All he remembered was waking up feeling the aftermath as if he had been hit over the head with a lead pipe. As a matter fact, his joints were still sore from the twisted position Ed had dumped him on the bed in. At the moment, he would have loved to cuff Ed for being so careless.

He squeezed his eyes shut, deciding that some things were probably better left unsaid. "So where are we headed for this 'new lead' anyway?"

"We're travelling to Russia, Al. But I'm not sure how we're going to get there." He paused when he caught sight of a few German vessels as they neared one of the military bases. "Or do I?" His expression contorted into a grin as a plan formulated in his head.

Al looked at his brother, he did not like the look in Ed's eyes.

He was a bit scared, to say the least.

* * *

"Oh yeah, some plan Nii-san. This is _much_ better." 

Ed rolled his eyes. "I didn't hear any better ideas coming from you, Alphonse. So unless you want to walk to Russia…" He trailed off leaving it to Al to fill in the blanks.

Al grimaced, but said nothing. They were cramped in the tiny propeller shaft on a German aircraft, heading north. They were situated on opposite sides of the shaft and were a little too close to the propellers for either of their liking. One small slip and well… anyone could guess the outcome of that.

It was going to be a long trip.

* * *

Ed stood with his feet knee deep in snow, hoping that the frigid temperature would cool down his temper, even slightly. 

He dropped his suitcase and threw his arms up. "IT'S FUCKING COLD HERE!"

"Well, what did you expect, Nii-san?" Al asked, trying to pry the ice chunks that got wedged up in the soles of his shoes. "We're smack dab in the middle of Russia, and to make things worse, it's almost winter. So again, what did you expect?"

It was true, neither brothers could even begin to fathom how anyone, who was human in the least bit, could stand living in a place where the temperature could cause their toes to snap off. They had landed at an old rundown aerial base in the middle of nowhere, and the Germans who were flying the planes were doing only god knows what. They had snuck out of the airshaft unnoticed and were loitering around for about three hours, a few miles away from where the Germans were more than likely re-supplying. But both Elrics were oblivious to the fact that the area had become a bit emptier...

Ed let out an aggravated sigh as his right eye twitched in annoyance. "Yeah well, as soon as those idiots are done whatever the hell they're doing. We're getting out of here."

Al looked around, and saw nothing but a vast winter wonderland. "Uh… there's no one here but us, Nii-san."

Ed's head shot up and scanned the area. "Aw, DAMN IT!"

* * *

The temperature had dropped about another twenty degrees and a heavy snowfall now fell, blanketing the countryside in a fresh coat of white. It was starting to get late and the snow caused the sky to glow such an unnatural shade of purple it was as if someone had painted it such a shade. 

Al was following a few paces behind Ed, who of course, had no idea where he was actually going. They had been walking around aimlessly for a few hours, hoping to find a town or some form of civilization.

_'I wish oh how I wish I only had a shovel.' _Al inwardly chanted.

Out of nowhere a loud snap echoed throughout the empty area, and Ed bent over slightly bracing himself with his hands. "What was that, Nii-san?" Al asked, slightly worried.

Ed shifted his head slightly to face his younger brother, a weary smile creeping into his face. "I guess not even our favourite junkie's automail can hold up against these harsh conditions." He said with a light chuckle.

Al rushed to Ed's side and bent down to examine his automail limb. He lifted up the pant leg, but had a difficult time seeing through the blizzard so he relied on the sense of touch and ran his fingertips along the surface of the metal. Everything was still in mint condition but when he reached the kneecap he discovered that it had been uplifted slightly and was detached from the back ligaments. "Looks like the steel can't withstand the cold, and it put to much stress on the material…" Al muttered.

Ed raised an eyebrow at Al's uncharacteristic synapses. "Since when do you know so much about automail?" He asked.

Al glared up at him. "I guess unlike you, I actually _listened_ to what Winry-chan said when she verbally analyzed your automail. I found how it worked interesting." He stood up and straightened his grey jacket. "Like when I returned after training with Izumi-sensei and lived with Winry and Auntie Pinako for a short while. I used to watch her assemble automail parts." He smiled to himself softly.

_'More when I lived with her and Wrath, she babied his automail. Well, she babied Wrath himself more than anything_ _else…' _He glanced back down at Ed who was now wearing a puzzled expression. _' …_ _but Nii-san doesn't need to know that…'_

"What are you thinking about, Al?" Ed ventured. "You're being unusually quiet… is something going on that I should know about?" He asked with a hint of suspicion.

Al massaged the back of his head nervously. "N-no, whatever gave you that idea, Nii-san?" All the while he was thinking. _'How the heck does he know everything?! I don't get it!' _

Al shook his head and flopped down on the snow next to his brother. "Hey, Nii-san… how are we going to get out of here?"

"… I don't know, Al."

Well, so much for knowing everything.

* * *

The two sat in silence for what felt like hours in silence, contemplating on what to do next. The quantity of snowflakes had increased and no one would be surprised if the height of the snow raised to at least another foot in the next half hour. 

Footsteps crunching in the snow in front of Ed made him tilt his head up halfway. From what he could see through the snowstorm, the figure wore an ebony coloured cape covering their entire body with the hood concealing the person's eyes, but not the rest of their face. The person's lips curled into a sweet smile.

"Oh my. Are you two boys here all by yourselves?" The voice was definitely female and was eerily familiar, yet melodious and soothing to Ed's ears.

Ed's mouth fell agape. He couldn't place the stranger's dreamy voice, but it was making a lump form in his throat. He swallowed and shook his head, finally finding his voice. "Uh… yeah. Do you know of any city or any form of civilization that might be around here?"

"As a matter a fact there's one right over there." The woman pointed to what looked to Ed like just more snow, but when he squinted he could see the outline of a city just a few miles away. Needless to say, Ed felt like slapping himself.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see the woman's outstretched hand. "Here, come with me. You two really should get inside before you catch a cold."

Ed smiled slightly and looked over at Al, who was leaning against his other shoulder. "Hey Al, we're in luck. Wake up." He nudged him slightly, but he didn't stir.

"Al?" He lifted him slightly off his shoulder and examined his face, his eyes were closed softly, and his lips were tinted a pale blue. Panicked, he started shaking his brother's shoulders wildly. "ALPHONSE!"

He felt the woman grasp his hand gently, and he immediately froze at the touch of her gloved hand. "It's alright. My house is just over that hillside. Let's get him inside before his condition worsens."

Ed stared at her wide eyed before finally nodding slowly and loosened his grip on Al's shoulders. He just couldn't be himself, and say 'no' to this woman. He watched the hooded figure carefully as she made her way over to Al's feet and picked up his lower half gently as not to harm him while Ed lifted the upper half of his body. The person led the way through the inhospitable snowstorm for a few miles until a small cottage located outside of the city became visible.

Ed couldn't help but steal a few glances at the back of the woman's form through the storm. Even the graceful strides she took as she meandered through the snow were familiar, he was mesmerized. But, for some strange reason, he had the feeling that he didn't want to see her face. A feeling that made his stomach churn.

_'But why…?' _He wondered as he held onto Al while their rescuer unlocked the door to her home and led them inside.

* * *

The outside of the stranger's home was certainly misleading. The exterior portrayed it as a ramshackle cottage, but on the inside it was very nicely furnished. The woman seemed to have the kind of taste for a simple life. It wasn't extravagant or cheerful, but it gave off the cozy feeling of a home. 

It was medium sized, much too large for one person, but perfect for two or even three. It had a small living room that opened up into an equally small kitchen. On the left side of the room, it opened up into a hallway with three doors: one on the end, and the last two on either side.

"It's nice." Ed stated absently.

"Thank you." Without turning to see his face, the woman walked over to a chest and pulled out some quilts and spread them out on the couch. "You can place him here. I'll go grab some towels, and get some food for you two. You must be starving." She removed her black woolly gloves and entered the room at the end of the short hallway.

Ed watched her retreating form until she closed the door behind her, before placing Al onto the couch and covering him up with the other half of the quilts. He was still pale as a corpse and dark circles started materializing under his eyes. Ed could only hope that it was just a mild case of hypothermia.

In an attempt to get his mind off his brother's condition, Ed tried to preoccupy himself with interior of the woman's house. He noticed a stack of men's clothes neatly folded on one of the lounge chairs that looked to have belonged to someone close to his size. He walked over in curiosity for a closer look but ended up bumping the chair, causing a book to slide out from under the first garment and hit the floor.

He picked it up the and examined the front cover. He couldn't decipher the title because it was written in German, but there was a simple drawing of a rocket, similar to the style he had seen before, on the cover. "Rocketry, huh?" He said out loud. He only knew a bit about it, it was Alfons Heiderich who was the expert.

He sighed and sat down on the closest chair, feeling like he hit rock bottom. It seemed like things couldn't get much worse.

"I'm so sorry, but I don't have much. But you're welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like."

Ed looked up as the door the woman disappeared into opened. She had removed her cape and her face was visible for the first time. Ed's eyes grew with shock and every muscle and joint in his body became numb.

She was carrying a small pile of sage green towels and a hot water bottle. She scanned the room, obviously searching for him. But when her face fell to his, her beautiful face contorted into an expression that was anything but legible.

"E-Edward?"

At a loss for words, all Ed could do was smile at her meekly. She was exactly the same; her shiny brown hair, her silver eyes that matched Al's. Right down to the low ponytail, slung over her right shoulder...

"Mom…" His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper so she couldn't hear him.

Suddenly her face turned whiter than her already fair skin as she almost dropped what she was carrying. Ed leapt to his feet to try and steady her, but she backed away from his outstretched hand.

"Edward?" She stammered out again, taking another shaky step backwards. He could practically see the sweat pouring down her face as she clutched the wall, sliding down it slowly. Ed could only stare back in anguish and wish with all his heart that he could wash all her troubles away.

"A-are you okay?" Ed tried, finally finding his voice. _'No, no, it's not her. She's not my mother.' _

The woman looked up at him, her eyes were still wide and blank, but the initial shock in her expression had changed to morbid. "I'm sorry… I know it's impossible. But you look identical to my… son."

Ed gently smiled at her again. He knew it wasn't fair. To be faced with the mirror image of her son and not even know why. He debated on telling her the whole truth for a moment, but decided against it. In this case, her ignorance would probably serve to keep her sanity intact, at least for now.

She pulled herself up off the ground and locked eyes with him. "I'm alright. Don't worry about a thing." Despite the circumstance, she found a way to smile at him cheerfully. "Now let's take care of your brother."

Ed looked at her quizzically. "How did you know he's my brother?" He asked.

"Come now. You two look so much alike, it should be obvious to anyone." She stated lightly as she placed a kettle on a very pedestrian style stove. "But rest assured. He will be fine, a little frost bitten but okay." She must have noticed the concerned look on Ed's face as he looked down at Al, who still had not awoken.

After five minutes, the woman filled up the hot water bottle with the steaming liquid and placed it underneath Al's blankets. "Oh how rude of me..." She realized and stood fully to look at Ed. "My name is Trisha."

Ed scratched the back of his head nervously. What could he say? He couldn't tell her his name. That would cause all new problems. Fortunately for him, Al began to stir, grabbing both Ed and Trisha's attention.

Al finally cracked his eyes open, but in his semi-conscious state all he could see was a blinding white light and Trisha's face. _'… Mom?… I really must be dead, huh?'_ Soon the light dissipated, only leaving the sweet face of his 'mother.' His eyes widened as realization crossed his face and he shot up into a sitting position.

Ed covered his brother's mouth with his palm before he could cry out the inevitable. Which would only confuse the poor woman more. "Yes it is, Al…" He whispered to him, so Trisha couldn't hear.

Al stared at his brother, than back at Trisha, who was clearly baffled. Trisha tilted her head to the side before smiling at Al. "I'm glad you're okay. Are you hungry?"

Unable to find his voice, Al nodded stiffly. "Alright then, I'll be back in a moment." Trisha stated as she turned and walked over to the adjoining kitchen.

When she was out of earshot, Al whipped around. "Nii-san, what-"

"I know, I know, Al..." Ed replied sitting down onto the couch beside him. "But don't say anything. She's traumatized enough as it is…"

Al was about to say something else when Trisha walked back into the room. "The food will be ready in a few minutes boys. Feel free to make yourselves at home." She suggested as she lit the furnace next to them, instantly warming them.

The room fell silent as neither occupant, not even Trisha knew what to say. Ed kept throwing suspicious glances towards Al, afraid that he would say something out of line. "So… what were you doing out there?" Al asked, trying to spark a safe conversation. "I mean when you found us."

"I was on my way home from running some errands in town when I saw two shadows in the snow a few miles away. I thought that they might be stranded travellers, so I decided to investigate. Lucky for you I did." She replied, resting in the chair across from them.

Ed stood up from the couch and walked towards the window. Al and Trisha watched him with curiosity as he gazed out the window at the falling snow. "You really shouldn't be so ready to help people. You can't trust everyone so easily." He said nonchalantly.

"I know…" Trisha said, inwardly touched at his discreet concern. "But I couldn't help it. The weather is harsh up here, and anyone could easily freeze to death." She couldn't see Ed's expression from her angle, but judging by his silence, she guessed that he did not buy her defence. "Well, I doubt that you two have any place to go, am I right?" Al nodded, but Ed's posture didn't change in the slightest. "So… you can stay here for as long as you'd like. It gets lonely up here…"

"You live out here… all alone…?" Ed asked suddenly, his back still turned to her.

"Well… yes, my son and my husband are both dead." She glanced over at the stack of clothes Ed had gone through earlier. "And I'm not exactly welcome in town." She added quietly.

"Why is that?" Al asked.

_'Because of the bloodlines of her own son...' _Ed thought to himself. He turned partially to face Al. "Just leave it alone, Al. I'll tell you later."

After a minute, the kettle in the kitchen sounded and Trisha went to go take it off the stove. While she was gone, Ed filled Al in on the bit of information Geoffrey had given him, which wasn't much but it was still enough for anyone to get the general idea. Soon Trisha returned and handed them each a bowl with a generous helping of homemade chicken soup.

Al mindlessly swirled the soup with his spoon. He just couldn't understand why bloodlines and skin tones were such an issue. He glanced back up at Trisha who was looking at Ed. Her face was a mixture of joy, sorrow, and confusion. Ed of course, was oblivious to the whole silent interaction. _'She looks so sad, she must miss her son so much…'_ Al thought solemnly.

It wasn't easy for Ed either. At one point when he was close to finishing his soup, Trisha noticed that he had some on his face so she dampened a cloth and wiped the corner of his mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She said. "It's just… never mind." Ed looked at her for a moment, but shrugged it off and continued eating.

But Al had seen that his entire frame had been shaking the whole time.

_'You try to be strong, but I can always see your invisible tears, Nii-san.'_

* * *

Afterwards, Trisha gave them a brief tour of the house. "My room is the one at the end of the hallway, the door on the left is the one my son use to occupy. You and your brother can share that one. The room on the right is the bathroom." She turned to face them when she noticed how wet their clothes were. "You know, you two really should change. You could… wear my son's clothes…" She offered. 

Al waved his hands around. "N-no that's okay, Trisha-san, really!"

Trisha gave him a look of understanding. "It's alright. Besides, what else am I going to use them for?" She glanced around the room at all of her son's belongings. Exactly where he had left them. "… you both must think I'm pretty crazy. Keeping all of these things." She chuckled half heartedly.

"Trisha-san…" Al started. "Tell us about your son."

"Al…" Ed said dangerously low, suggesting that Al should bite his tongue.

Trisha lowered her head, causing both Elrics to look up at her in concern. "You both know, don't you?" She more stated than asked. "About what my Edward was considered… I never wanted that for him." The brothers exchanged a look, both not knowing what to do or say.

She bit her quivering bottom lip. "But his father just had to take my boy to war." She clenched one of her fists, the strain causing it to vibrate. "And now he and my son are dead…" Ed stood there for a moment, until her muscles finally relaxed.

"Well…" Trisha looked up into Ed's amber eyes, the snow had melted leaving his bangs soaked and clinging to his face. "You're not alone anymore, we'll stay here for awhile."

Al looked up at him and smiled in admiration for his brother. He thought that Ed would've wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Being a much worse situation than having to look into Sloth's eyes.

Then again, Ed had changed. Al was more than aware of that.

**_…End of normal POV (Al's POV)…_**

* * *

We have been living with Trisha for about a week now. Everyday at daybreak, Nii-san would leave and not return again until nightfall. I preferred to stay with Trisha during the day. She was so kind, the way she took us in like we were her relatives and cared for us lovingly. She's so much like mom, I had to hold back my tears every time she would do something that reminded me of her. 

I guess I just wanted the opportunity to get to know the closest thing to mom from an older perspective and not a child's.

I didn't blame Nii-san for wanting to stay away. I assumed that he was just out investigating what Jase had told him. He always did have a one track mind.

Truthfully, I thought he was just out trying to clear his head. Not because of Trisha, he had grown accustomed to that awkward situation. He still hadn't told her about the two 'worlds,' but it was probably best that way.

My worst concern was the way he acted at night. He used to try and stay awake all night, and for awhile I thought he was suffering from insomnia. But when I started waiting up for him, he would eventually succumb to his body's need for rest and start, what I like to call, the 'Winry zone.'

At first I found it amusing, part of me hoped his dream was of a _decent_ rating… then again, I couldn't help but be a bit to curious about the other side of the equation.

But a few months after we crossed the gate, he would be drenched in sweat and his occasional call to her as well as other incoherent words would be in distress…

Today, I decided to accompany him on his pointless walks around the city near Trisha's house. She had told us it was Moscow, the capital of Russia. I trailed a few steps behind him, trying to piece together what he had said last night…

I remembered waking up in the middle of the night and glanced over towards Nii-san's bed to see if he was home yet. He was, and he was sitting upright, staring straight ahead.

"Nii-san?" I had tried calling out to him, but he didn't respond or even flinch.

Sighing, I got up and went over to him. "What's wrong with you, Nii… -san?" I paused when I saw the look in his eyes. They were glazed over, held no life within them, and were the shade of rusted gold. Almost like he was under some sort of enchantment. No, it wasn't some weird curse. He was still asleep I realized when I tried touching his shoulder and he only moved slightly with the momentum my finger created.

"Winry…"

This was my chance. I had to know what Ed was seeing, even if I had to get it out of him while he was still asleep. This had to stop, it wasn't healthy for him to be in a state like this, and I had just as much right as he to know what might be happening to Winry.

"What about her, Nii-san?"

To my shock, his eyes slid a bit towards mine, but didn't make contact. "Something's wrong… something's happened… a shadow… she's… different…"

I screwed up my face. _'Shadow? Different?' _I looked back down at him, but his eyes were now closed and his breathing had evened out. So I pushed him back gently onto the bed. He still had his clothes on, he must have just gotten back and climbed into bed. Sighing again, I removed his shoes and pulled the blanket over him before returning to my own bed for the night.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I glanced up at the back of Nii-san's head. From my angle, I could see that his eyes were half lidded, and his steps were off balance. Part of it was because his automail leg was still busted, he did use some of Trisha's medical supplies to create a makeshift brace, which helped immensely. But I think the real reason is his lack of sleep as of late.

This is getting serious.

When I left Winry back in Central to join up with Nii-san and Mustang, there didn't appear to be anything wrong with her. She was upset about Wrath, but nothing else seemed to be bothering her.

The look on Winry's face when I told her about the fate Wrath had suffered. I will never forget that look. She didn't cry nor did she seem devastated, which is what I thought she would be. They were so close…

With Winry there was always everything, yet there was nothing. She was straight to the point, had no mask for anyone to crack, and she wore her emotions on her sleeve. But this time, her expression was the most unreadable I had ever seen. Her face was a mixture of regret, loss, and foreseeing? It was like she knew it was going to happen. But how could that be?

Then again, how could she really shed tears for someone who was already dead? Truth be told, I still don't understand why she cared for and trusted him so much.

It's a mystery to me.

I remember when I awoke in Winry's care back at her house. I looked slightly past her to see Wrath's small frame shadowed behind her, on instinct I jumped up and pushed him away from her. When he was beside her his face was normal, almost… serene. But when I pulled Winry behind me, the same maniacal expression overtook his face as he yelled at me to get away from her and prepared to strike.

But when Winry pleaded with him to stop... he did, and his expression changed back to normal. Strange, he never listened to anyone, other than Sloth. After that, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room, leaving me with a dumbfounded look.

When I would come home everyday, they would be doing some sort of activity together: baking, origami, drawing, or even just talking. Well, Winry would do most of the talking, but Wrath would cling to every word with undivided attention. They seemed to share history. I tried asking her why she would take an artificial human in and treat him like family.She had told me that it was a personal matter that she couldn't tell anyone, not even me.

After watching them a couple of times, I thought I finally figured out at least one reason. It was simple, she saw him as a boy who did not have a childhood. So she gave him one. Even if it wasn't for very long, it was enough to tame him so he would even be nice to me.

I haven't told Nii-san about that. How can I? He wanted to keep her away from any threats, and I know he wouldn't understand that Wrath wouldn't even harm a hair on Winry's head. Even five years ago when Wrath first revealed to us what he was, and started attacking everyone in a frenzy. He never once laid a hand on Winry.

She was the only human he never tried to harm…

**_…End of Al's POV (normal POV)…_**

* * *

Ed picked up his pace as he caught sight of Trisha's house. It was late now, and she would be awaiting their return with a warm, delicious meal. Al ran ahead, overjoyed to be back at their temporary home. It was the most comfortable one he had been in so far. 

He waited for Ed at the front door, and after a brief search for the key in his pocket, he unlocked the door and stepped inside followed by Al…

Ed blinked.

Al blinked twice.

Ed leaned heavily on the door handle, slightly light headed. While Al did his best to shake the wracking sobs that threatened to surface out of his body.

_'Not again…' _Was the line that repeated itself in both of their minds along with the morbid memories as they stared down at Trisha's body, lying motionless on the floor.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** NOT MINE! 

**Salina: **What else… ah yes. I have no idea what Greed's name used to be, so I made one up for his alter. Truth be told, I have no idea what any of the homunculi's names used to be, other than of course Trisha Elric, and Envy's old name, obviously.

**Belle Sapphire: **There you have it people! I don't own it, not even Lin owns it, but I think she would do a pretty damn good job of it.

**Salina:** Back at you, girl!

**Tashi:** She may not own it, but I still want all the guys _and_ their boxers... or tights for some of them.

**Salina & Belle Sapphire: **… pervert.


	8. Chapter 6: A Face to Match the Memory

**When The Icicle Melts**

**Chapter 6: "A Face to Match the Memory"**

"_TRISHA_!"

An earth shattering cry that could clearly be heard by anyone who was passing by and possibly even the entire countryside rang out as Al's vision was clouded only by the memories of the tail end of his childhood. His silver eyes gradually loosing focus as the same images projected themselves through his mind. It was seeing his brother's face for the first time two years ago that first unlocked his buried memories, but at that moment in time, he almost wished it hadn't.

Oh how cruel fate is. It simply wasn't enough for the Elric's dreams to be plagued, now they were forced to relive the very catalyst of their strenuous and emotionally draining adventure in a physical form.

All the while Ed remained anchored to the spot and strangely passive to the whole spectacle. He didn't move. Not as Al shook himself out of his semi-conscious state when the life returned to his devastated orbs. Not when he strode from Ed's side and began to make his way over to Trisha's collapsed body. Lastly, he didn't even blink when Al slowly dropped to his knees by her side and hesitantly placed a hand on her forehead.

Well, it wasn't _exactly_ the same situation, but it was close enough in both of their minds.

Still gripping the wooden doorknob so tightly that his knuckles were whiter than the snow in that region, Ed's eyes veered to the side, refusing to look at Al or _her_. She wasn't his mother, but it still felt strange to call her 'Trisha.' In the moment he let out a sigh, hoping for a bit of rehabilitation and finally released the handle. He forced himself to spare a glance at Al to see how he was doing. Not well was his conclusion as Al's eyes were still panicked with the ghost of a memory.

When they were children all they could do was grieve by their mother's side before eventually finding the strength to call Winry and Auntie Pinako for help. Being the person he was now, that sense of helplessness infuriated him, but there was nothing he could've done. He was only a small child back then.

But he wasn't anymore. Surely there was something he could do…

Looking up with that infamous determination once again igniting his golden eyes he came up behind his brother at a fast pace and shoved him backwards, a little rougher than intended. He crouched down next to Trisha and gently picked her up under her back and knees and quickly carried her over to the old couch in the living room. Al stood up and watched Ed's movements carefully, wondering what he was planning to do.

Placing her down and crouching down so he could examine her face, Ed noticed that something about Trisha's sickly appearance was unfamiliar and entirely different from their mother's. Her breathing was even, while their mom's had been laboured and unsteady, and throughout the whole ordeal, their mother had been drenched in sweat, but Trisha wasn't. In fact, she looked quite healthy… aside from her being unconscious.

Too caught up in his analysis, he failed to notice that Al had left the room. He wasn't alerted of his presence until he heard footsteps coming up quietly from behind him, as though afraid to disturb the delicate atmosphere that had fallen over the small cottage. Ed tilted his head up to see his brother holding a basin against his chest filled with cool water and a washcloth draped over its side. He smiled weakly at Ed with understanding and silently placed it down next to his older brother before seating himself on the other side of it.

Ed reached over and dipped the rag into the small temped pool before ringing it out and placing it onto Trisha's forehead. Both watched over her in silence awaiting any form of response. At one moment, Al leaned over and gently pulled the elastic band out of her hair so her head could rest a bit easier against the cushions before mindlessly twiddling the tips of his thumbs as his nervous habit. Meanwhile, Ed wore a small frown on his features, still puzzled over Trisha's symptoms.

Finally after a long fifteen minutes of zero activity, to the brothers' immediate shock and dismay, Trisha began to stir slightly and mutter words of incoherence under her breath.

"But… how?" Al asked to no one in particular from his position by her waist. Ed shrugged slightly, not taking his eyes off of Trisha as she finally cracked open one of her sterling silver eyes. She looked at them in tandem for a moment before her other eye snapped open when the situation finally registered.

"H-… how long was I out for?" She winced slightly while slowly pulling herself into a sitting position and massaged the side of her head, causing the cloth to slip off and fall onto her lap.

"What do you mean?" Al asked.

Trisha stopped momentarily and smiled at him. "I'm just a little clumsy, honey. No need to worry." Unconsciously, her hand reached up towards the thick strand of hair that naturally fell forward and framed the right side of her face. She raked her fingers through the lock pushing it to one side revealing a large gash along her hairline that was even more of a vibrant red from the damp cloth.

Al's eyes widened at the deep wound. "W-what happened? Are you okay?" He stuttered, getting up off the floor and sat beside her on the couch.

She looked at him for a moment, wondering why he was so shaken up. Even Ed, whom she had learned could be a bit cold at times and dealt with things nonchalantly seemed to be trying his hardest to keep his expression even. When she had awoken she had seen a fleeting wave of grief cross his face. Something deep within his eyes spoke more than his words ever could. Her own son had been the same way. Always claiming that he could do everything on his own and that he didn't need anyone's help and generally kept his emotions bottled up…

Blinking once, she focused in on Al who was still awaiting her answer. "I'm sorry. I slipped. I was trying to get at the bag of flour on the top shelf…" She motioned over towards a closet in the corridor connecting to the adjoining kitchen where various items were scattered across the wooden floor around where the brothers had found her.

It hadn't even been that far of a reach, just a few inches. Not wanting to haul the stool out of the overly cluttered storeroom, she had tried piling a few buckets in order to reach the top shelf. She hadn't paid any mind to how carelessly stacked they were until she heard them screech under her weight before skidding forward and sending her backwards against the hard wood followed by a shower of stars.

For a moment, she drifted into a sea of darkness until she slowly became aware that she was no longer on the floor in a precarious position, but lying on a soft surface on her back. She shifted slightly, trying not to hiss in pain from the dull ache of pulled muscles and an oncoming headache accompanied by a burning sensation on the right side of her forehead. With her bit of movement, she heard voices speaking quietly in the background so she opened them slowly to be greeted by the clearly concerned expressions of the boys she had found so easy to take care of. But there was something more in their eyes, something she couldn't even begin to describe in words…

Gods, what happened to these boys?

Trisha tilted her head upon hearing approaching footsteps and was surprised to see Ed holding the bag of ointments and bandages she kept stored in one of the kitchen cabinets. She hadn't even realized that he had left the room in the first place. He handed it over to his brother who quickly took it and went to work on sterilizing then bandaging Trisha's wound before it became infected.

Meanwhile, Ed had once again left them and stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned heavily against the wall adjacent to them. He wished that Al wasn't getting so attached, it would only make it a living hell when they would have to leave, and he hated playing the bad guy when it came to his little brother's feelings.

The room was quiet for a moment, while Al finished dressing Trisha's wound until a sudden blast sounded from outside close to the house in addition to the screeching of metal grinding together, making the noise all that much more deafening before all went silent again.

"What the hell?" Ed murmured under his breath, walking over to the window.

"Oh no…" Trisha rose to her feet and followed Ed over to the window and stood a few feet behind him as he smoothed the curtain aside to get a better view of the outside.

Al stood as well after throwing the medical supplies back into the bag and headed over to where his brother and Trisha were standing. "What's wrong?" He asked when he arrived by her side.

"It's the military…" She stated, not tearing her eyes away from the window. "It's been all over the country about the tension between the leaders of Russia and Germany even though a treaty was signed declaring that neither side would attack…" She tucked her fingers together in a loose fist, with the memory of the day when she was informed by a German military man who had travelled all that way to tell her that her son and husband had been killed in the first war. He claimed to have known them and had also witnessed their deaths. "But, ever since they got their hands on this new type of weapon… I'm sure they won't hesitate to use it."

"And end the war before it even starts, huh?" Ed added, not having clued in on Trisha's words.

"That's right. It's some sort of bomb made primarily from something called uranium."

…!

"WHAT?" Ed and Al shouted in unison.

Before Trisha had time to elaborate Ed was already on his way out the door without so much as looking back at either of them. After a moment, Al quickly left Trisha's side to catch up with his brother. "Trisha-san, please stay here. It'll be safer inside." Trisha nodded as Al closed the door quietly behind him and hurried over to the window to watch as the two boys disappeared over the snowy hillside.

* * *

Upon hearing rapid footsteps approaching as fast as they could in the deep snow, Ed slowed his pace assuming that it was Al. When he finally reached his side, they both continued towards whatever was making the ground tremble below their feet. 

The blizzard that had wedged on for days had finally ended just a few nights ago, leaving the area coated in a new layer of white crystals. There had been no sun that morning, just more grey clouds veiling the sky and spitting snow at times, but it was more than enough to slow the brothers down as the height of the snow came up to their knees with every step. Moreover, neither of them had even thought to bring a heavier coat once again. So there they were, in one of the coldest climates on Earth, venturing into unknown territory garbed only in their casual clothes.

Ed glanced ahead as the ruckus, he assumed was being caused by the country's military, grew louder with ever step they took in their current direction up the hillside. By now, they were miles away from Trisha's house. After several more awkward steps they finally arrived at the summit where the ground finally levelled out, as did the amount of snow. _'The military must have cleared out the area for one of their bases as well.'_ Ed presumed, taking in the sight before him. Sure enough, the entire perimeter of the area was lined with combat vehicles and artillery trucks. Although the weaponry looked fairly primitive compared to the kind Ed was used to seeing. Their nostrils filled with the sickening stench of gunpowder that hung heavily in the air and the sound of grinding steal was excruciating, causing Al to cover his ears and Ed to scrunch up his nose in irritation.

The field was filled with soldiers adorned in their country's military uniform and bright sashes with the Soviet's symbol etched proudly into the fabric on their shoulders, standing out for all to see. A small group marched past them carrying their rifles with the handle in their right palms and the barrel resting against their shoulders.

From their vantage point, they could see four poles with a plain white tarp draping along the top situated in the middle of the rectangular field. In the centre of the section was a table with some sort of machine that looked foreign in Ed's eyes. He squinted to try and get a better view and realized that it was a telegraph, probably used for transmitting messages to their allies in Morse code he assumed. In addition to the transmitter, several soldiers were surrounding the instrument, chatting amongst themselves in a language that he could only assume had to be Russian. At the head of the group stood one man whose sash was decorated with more bars and badges, suggesting that he was the army's general. The man's face was covered by the brim of his hat, concealing his face from the Elrics. That was until a nameless soldier grabbed a piece of paper from the telegraph and brought it over to him to inspect and he lifted the corner of his hat, revealing his face.

Ed blinked, he couldn't believe what or better _who_ he was seeing. _'Oh, COME ON! Anyone but… that.' _For the man who appeared to be one of the Soviet Union's elite Generals was none other than the alternate version of…

Roy Mustang.

"The bastard Colonel's a General here?!" Ed hissed out loud in genuine disbelief. "Who the hell in their right mind would put _him_ in charge of an _entire_ battlefield?"

"Well, Nii-san. The Mustang in our world was actually the Brigadier General last time I remember." Al pointed out. "Who knows? Maybe by now he's moved up in the ranks."

Ed snorted. "Only an idiot would promote that pompous jackass."

Al let out an exasperated sigh, already fed up with trying to reason with the one who would inevitably cause him to get grey hairs eventually. Shifting his eyes back towards the clearing where the tent was situated and refocused them on the Mustang look-alike. Despite his brother's seemingly infinite malice for even a reminder of the 'Flame Alchemist,' for each of the odd twin of someone he had once known, he felt a rush of comfort and rehabilitation which did wonders for the homesickness that would occasionally surface. His eyes continued to survey the area for anything helpful when something occurred to him. "Uh, Nii-san?"

"Yeah, Al?"

"What does the bomb look like?" He asked with a sheepish twiddle of his fingers.

Ed rolled his eyes over-dramatically. "Like a _bomb_, Al. It looks exactly like a _bomb_." He replied in a voice that was practically dripping with sarcasm while Al puffed out his cheeks in irritation. _"What does the bomb look like."_ He muttered under his breath, emphasizing every word and drilling the idiocy into Al's head.

Slightly flustered, Al turned his attention back to the clearing muttering a few choice words that were even surprising to himself until a couple sets of heavy footsteps creeping in the snow a few feet behind them caused him to turn around. Whipping his head forward, he gripped onto Ed's forearm and shook it, trying to grab his attention. "Nii-san-"

Ed's hand shot to the side and covered Al's mouth. "Keep your voice down. Do you want to get caught? If you needed to use the washroom, you should've done so before we left."

Al did his best to push his hand away while Ed kept trying to muffle his voice. "What? N-no, that's not it. There's-"

"Shut up, Al!"

"B-but, Nii-san! Be-behind-"

Tearing his eyes from the clearing, Ed finally focused his attention on Al, albeit a bit too late. "Damn it, Al. I said keep your voice…"

Al's words finally clicked into place when he noticed a shadow hovering over the two of them. Ed's eyes flicked up to see the bottom handle of a rifle come rapidly into his line of vision and connect squarely with his temple, stunning him momentarily before toppling forward into the snow. The last thing he heard before passing out was Al's voice cry out to him.

* * *

Trisha slowly walked into the living room with an armful of a few empty boxes. Setting them to one side, she moved over to one of the lounge chairs where her son had left his books. The room was deathly silent without those two boys she took note with an amused smile, realizing that the only sound in the cottage was the soft clicking her shoes made as she gingerly began sorting through a stack of her son's old belongings in the random locations around the room. 

Her soft grey eyes fell to the pile of clothes on the lounge chair partly noticing the book on rocketry was now sitting on top of the stack. Gathering the articles of clothing and the book in her arms, she sat down on the edge of the chair before setting them onto her lap and running her fingers through her long hair. She couldn't believe what she was about to do. She never once thought she would be able to find the fortitude to do so, even though to some the act might seem trivial.

Pulling herself to her feet, she walked over with the pile of clothes still in hand to one of the empty boxes and placed the book to one side. Holding them up to her face, she buried her nose in them for a moment, absorbing their scent before gently placing them inside like they were some kind of priceless monument. Well, they were to her.

The next few minutes carried on in the same manner as she worked her way into the room the brothers were sharing or better yet her son's old room. Carefully stepping over their makeshift beds which each plainly consisted of a few comforters for padding, a quilt and a pillow. She stumbled a bit over Ed's which looked as if it had crossed paths with a hurricane while Al's area was neat and tidy. First she picked up a few more of her son's books which he had left scattered across his desk and placed them onto a bookshelf with the rest of his rocketry manuals and such before she began rifling through the mechanical parts her son had left strewn across the floor, which she also took note that the brothers didn't bother to push aside to make room for themselves. As she placed each individual part into the pit of her apron, she took the time to examine them. She had always taken an interest in her son's hobbies. Reaching out and scooping up the last steel part and placing it in her apron along with the others, she spotted a picture frame laying face down on the floor.

Folding up her apron so the parts wouldn't fall out she bent down and gently wrapped her thumb and index finger around the small frame and picked it up in the palm of her hand. It must have been hidden under there for a long time, she realized seeing the substantial amount of dust that had collected on the glass. Picking up the corner of her apron she wiped off the grime, but didn't flip it over to see what the picture was and instead walked over and placed it on her son's desk face down and left the room. After all, it was an invasion of his privacy and she never intruded on personal space before and wasn't about to now.

Making her way back into the living room, she searched the closet for another empty box for the mechanical parts as the other boxes were already packed to the point of rupturing. Finding a box she forgot was even there, she opened it to see if it was empty. Well it wasn't quite, she giggled upon finding some of her son's old baby clothes and accessories that she couldn't bring herself to throw away even when her boy wasn't a baby anymore.

Letting out a sigh she picked up the tiny sleepers, clothing and little quilts and hugged them tightly to her bosom. Things had been so much simpler back then, before he got older and conflicts between the two had started. All of which concerned his father, her husband. For the short time they had lived in Germany, where her son had been born, they had lived a simple but happy live, all three of them, that was until the new leader of Germany was elected and began secretly planning a massive attack under the other country's noses. Then her husband was forced to leave as one of Germany's head generals, After that fateful day, they never saw him again.

Then came the appearance of that other man, when her own son was sixteen, the man who was so much like her husband yet was so unlike him. It was his appearance that drew her towards him. He looked identical to her husband, and because of that, her son, well, he…

Trisha shook her head, trying to will away the memories of the fight she and her son had over that man, he who ruined everything. After that incident she and her son returned to her hometown in Russia to start anew, but the conflict that had already sparked was only carried with them and grew by the day. Her son had isolated himself in his room all day long and focused solely on his research and the fascination for rockets he had since he was a child, only coming out for meals which he immediately took into his bedroom and followed by a wincing slam of his door.

He really had hidden himself in a shell and threw away the key, and not even her; his mother, could mend things between them and the tension only mounted, the more time they spent together in the same house.

Then came the arrival of his father's letter one morning. Her son stated that he had sent a postcard to him a while ago telling him where they were so he could find them once the war came to an end, or so he hoped. That was the one sentence spoken between them in weeks, but the nice break in the silence didn't last as the conversation turned ugly when he announced that his father needed him and would be leaving in a day to fight with him in the war. With that, he went to pack without another word. Trisha had followed him trying to get him to change his mind, this was her baby boy for god's sake, but he ignored her and went back to throwing stuff in his bags, though most of it ended up on the floor. As he placed his hand on the front door handle she tried once more to get him to stay, saying that she would do anything.

_'Choose one, him or me!'_ He had snapped so darkly she didn't even recognize him in that moment. Insulted by the way her own son was speaking to her, the rare anger she ever felt towards anyone escalated and she said the absolutely wrong thing.

_'Then why don't you go find that bastard? It's obvious that you love him more than father… and me.'_

And those were the last words spoken and the last time she had ever seen her son…

The very last time.

Trisha bowed her head, as her braid fell forward covering the right side of her face. _"I didn't mean it, not one word…" _She hiccupped and gripped the edge of her dress, the tension causing her knuckles to turn white. _"How could I… you were my one and only son, and now…" _She bit her bottom lip, trying in vain to keep it from trembling as a fresh set of tears dripped onto her strained hands as she whispered the words.

Clawing at her tears she tilted her head towards the ceiling. She wasn't willing to lose another son, the two boys she had recently taken in close in mind.

It was exactly like playing good cop, bad cop with those two. One would always fill her heart with unspoken comfort while the other was a bit more forceful as his eyes practically spoke what his voice could not, and they were telling her never to look back on what has already been said and done.

Because no one can change the past.

That is why she wanted to move forward.

Trisha turned her head towards the window, her eyes full of worry as they glazed over with both shed and unshed tears as she awaited their return. The war was pressing forth and she knew her number would be up soon, but perhaps it was best that way. Those boys wouldn't stay with her forever. She was glad to see her son's face again after so long, even though it was only an illusion.

It was merely the calm before yet another storm in her life…

* * *

He buried his nose further into the pillow while gripping the soft sheets in a fist as he slowly came back into consciousness, vaguely aware of an oncoming headache and that the side of his forehead hurt like hell… wait a minute, a bed sheet? Hadn't he just… 

Ed kept his eyes closed, partly aware that he had lost all feeling on one side of his face and that he couldn't move his hands let alone his arms. He sucked in a long breath through his nose, taking in the scent. The air around him was soaked with the stench of blood, usually the scent would make him nervous but in this case it offered him unspoken comfort and didn't bring him any cause for alarm.

In other words he didn't want to get up, not yet anyway.

"Nii-san… Nii-san…?"

_'Al…' _Lazily, Ed opened his eyes halfway while unclenching his fist, vaguely aware that his hand also felt numb to the bone. Through wisps of golden hair he was temporarily blinded by white and wondered for a moment if he was dead until his eyes adjusted to the picture in front of his line of vision. The only thing he could see was more white and a shade of grey. He glanced at the silhouette with still blurry eyes, annoyed by not being able to see clearly and not being able to rub his eyes to solve the problem as his arms seemed immobilized. As he came closer to reality, he felt a dull ache throughout every muscle of his body as well as having that nagging feeling that he was supposed to be doing something…

"NII-SAN!"

His eyes widened and he shot up. Looking down, he realized what he had thought was a pillow was nothing but snow. Before he could huff it dawned on him that the only thing awkwardly holding him up was his knees, until he lost his balance and subsequently did another face-plant in the snow.

"Are you alright, Nii-san?" Al asked, trying to suppress his laughter for fear of copping a punch to the face, courtesy of his brother. Though both of their hands were tied literally, there was always later.

Muttering a long, colourful string of obscenities, Ed once again pushed himself back onto his knees and rubbed the snow that had gotten caked onto his face off on the shoulder of his overcoat. "What the hell?" He questioned more to himself, realizing that his wrists were bound together behind his back by a length of heavy rope.

Al looked behind at his own tightly knotted hands. "Um, yeah, about that-"

"(Finally awake, are we)?" A voice questioned ahead of them in Russian. Although the accent was thick, Ed knew exactly_ who's _voice it was as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight.

"_Mustang_."Ed muttered under his breath, raising his eyes to the see the alternate version of said man standing before him with a few nameless subordinates by his side. Not surprising to Ed at all, even this Mustang had a cocky smirk planted on his brazen mug.

_Jerk_.

"(It seems we have ourselves a couple of German spies on our hands)." The smirk on his face turned stern as he looked the boys over for any form or proof that they were armed.

Ed narrowed he eyes and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Look, unless you can speak English, then this is going nowhere." He stated, stubbornly twisting his head away from him.

Mustang's eyebrows knitted together in amusement. "You're lucky that you came across one of few who know how to speak your language. As there are in most armies." He stated, adjusting the brim of his hat to get a better look at their feisty _little_ captive. "Otherwise you'd be done for. Not to mention-"

"Who hit me?"

The General's smirk faded to a thin line, pissed off about being interrupted. "What are you talking about?" He snapped.

Ed motioned to his temple where a few stray droplets of blood were still running down his cheek while others were, disgustingly enough, seeping into his eye as he couldn't wipe them away. "I _said,_ WHO HIT ME?!"

Mustang blinked a few times at him while Al looked between them in tandem, debating on whether or not to calm his brother down. After all, it was a serious head injury they inflicted upon him. Mustang pursed his lips. He seriously wondered if his slow-witted captive even realized that he was being held as a POW, or that every time he opened his trap he risked getting executed on the spot. A smirk once again played on his lips as he decided to humour the kid… while he was still alive anyway. "That would be the major over there." He nodded towards the soldier among the small group behind the brothers closest to Ed's left side.

Ed's expression remained passive as his eyes coolly shut. Although Al could tell that a storm was fuelling his temper as the seconds ticked by. "I see…" Before the General could blink Ed's eyes snapped open and he twisted his body around bringing his automail leg around to smack the major _hard_ in the shin, causing him to fall over and probably ended up breaking the limb.

Ed snickered while the soldier let out a howl followed by a few choice words in his own language, that is until one of the other soldiers got his act together and drew his handgun and pressed it against Ed's temple followed by a loading click.

"NII-" One of the other soldiers standing by slapped a hand over Al's mouth and hauled him to his feet.

"(Now, hold on a moment, Sergeant)." Mustang motioned towards the soldier by Ed, who tauntingly tugged on his ponytail pissing him off even more, but what could he really do with a gun wedged against his skull?

"(But, sir)." The soldier protested with his grip still firmly wrapped around the gun. "(He took out one of our men with just a kick to the shins. He must have a secret weapon of sorts)."

Mustang placed his thumb and index finger on his chin, considering his soldier's observation. Ed grimaced, taking note that this Mustang had the same annoying habit as well. Mustang's eyes wandered back down to the boys as one of his men still had the presumably younger one restricted. _'Well it's pretty clear that these two aren't spies…' _He surmised to himself. _'God knows with this one's mouth, he'd screw up any mission his country might hand him. So why did they come traipsing out here in the open like they own the place, practically begging to get caught…?'_ He paused upon seeing Ed shift his eyes from him and glance to each side as discreetly as possible, almost like he was…

Mustang grinned. _'Bingo.' _He cleared his throat and brought his full attention back to Ed who was otherwise leering at him in disgust. "Tell me something, boy. Do you have a name?"

Ed snorted. "What's it to you?" He spat.

Mustang frowned. Alright so they were on opposite sides, but he still couldn't figure out why a kid, whom he just met, had it in for him so bad. "So, is there anything you want to ask of us?" He opted, trying to pry something out of him.

"Yeah." Ed threw his head to the side, away from the major who still had his gun pressed against the side of his head. "How about you tell this idiot to back the hell off already and…" His eyes veered towards his brother who was still being restricted by one of the other soldiers. "How about you let _him_ go." Al smiled as best he could as the soldier's hand was still firmly clamped over his mouth and waved his finger slightly as if to say 'don't forget about me.'

The General raised his left hand and the soldiers immediately retreated to the sidelines. "So what's the kid to you?" He asked.

"Again, none of your business."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Mustang placed his hand on his hip and the other reached up to massage his hairline. One thing was for certain though, this boy had come from Germany and was without a doubt looking for something. Which meant that he potentially held some information that could be quite useful towards the Soviet's victory in this inevitable war. Mustang grinned, he could practically taste a promotion if he pulled this one off. Not to mention gaining the recognition he felt he rightfully deserved from the Czar and the Czarina. Then perhaps he could set his sights even higher…

He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the two foreign boys and gave them a smirk that was a bit too suspicious in both their minds. Ed raised a finely trimmed eyebrow at him. He recognized that look, even in this Mustang's eyes, this man definitely had something jammed up his stealthy sleeve. Mustang took his time meandering over to them which only aggravated Ed more and by the time he got there he felt like spitting in his obnoxious face. "On your feet." He ordered.

Ed almost burst out laughing. "Pfft, like I'm gonna listen to you."

"Not like you ever have before." Al whispered while giggling slightly and dropped to his knees by Ed's side.

Mustang grinned and motioned to the soldier currently occupying the empty space behind the Elrics. "Let me give you a choice then, either you come willingly or I can have one of my men pump you full of lead… (Sergeant)!"

"(Sir)!" He lifted up his rifle up part way, gliding the bolt to load it then raising it to point at the Ed's back, all in one fluid motion.

Ed's eyes shifted to look at the man behind him before letting a sigh escape his lips and muttered an almost inaudible 'fine.' Al blinked a few times, clearly shocked at his brother's compliance and in his peripheral vision he saw Ed's teeth grit and his fists clench. Soon the moment passed and Ed turned to him slightly flashing one his infamous, furtive grins which caused Al to smile in return, knowing that Ed, as usual, had some sort of plan. However, whether it was a good or a completely rash one, which seemed more likely of the two, was an entirely different story.

Mustang did hear Ed's 'surrender' and silently motioned for a few of the soldiers idly standing by to move in. Before Ed could blink he felt a tug on the rope securing his wrists and someone grab the collar of his overcoat, trying to yank him onto his feet.

"HEY! HANDS OFF THE MATERIAL!" He yelled, pulling away from the soldier. "I can do it myself." Standing as best he could, though it wasn't easy because the moron was still holding onto the rope, he began to stalk after Mustang as the General had already begun to walk away not paying the feisty brat any mind. Al stood as well and began to trudge through the snow with some difficulty after them while the soldiers followed closely.

Certainly if anyone had told him sooner he would have thought they were crazy, but here he was being held captive by a Russian battalion, but that wasn't the unbelievable part. With one look, Ed had known that this was obviously this world's answer to Roy Mustang. The same appearance, same manner, same basic personality… even his eye patch was present. So perhaps with his knowledge of how the Mustang he once knew operated, this wouldn't be such a waste of time…

After what felt like a few miles of walking in empty silence another presence made itself known in the air, causing both Elrics and even a few of the soldiers to dry heave. Ed wrinkled his nose walking down the path a few feet behind Mustang who was holding a handkerchief to his nose while one of his grunts held tightly onto Ed's restraints. Something was _so_ not agreeing with his nose, it was enough to make his stomach queasy. What the hell… chemicals? Ed stopped abruptly in the middle of the pathway as well as halting everyone else and began sniffing the area. It had some kind of element mixed into a compound that weighed out the others, telling him that this one particular ion had a higher positive charge than the others. Yet the stench was so familiar, he could of sworn it was…

He heard the soldier securing his wrists say something, probably to keep moving he assumed as he felt himself being nudged forward not so kindly, the motion causing Ed to cringe at the potency and almost throw up.

Finally after a few more minutes of having to put up with what to them was a degrading denizen… "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT STENCH?!" Ed yelled out, causing a substantial amount of snow to slide of a nearby cliff and bury one of Mustang's soldiers.

"You know something, kid…" Mustang started as a few members of his group pulled the poor guy out of the snow bank. "You've got a real attitude problem."

"That's an understatement." Al said under his breath followed by a cough.

"What was that, Al?" Ed arched a golden eyebrow, tilting his head to the side and back, trying to get a challenge out of him, which wasn't too likely.

Al shrugged and motioned towards his throat. "Must be coming down with something."

Ed narrowed his eyes while turning fully around to face him. _'Yeah right, Al. You couldn't lie to save your own life.' _He thought to himself with a slight smirk.

Mustang walked over to them as they continued to squabble over what Al did or did not dare to say. Removing his hat, he somehow found a speck of patience left, which halted the impulse of wanting to fling it at one of their heads… or maybe both if the ricochet worked in his favour. "Would you two knock it off! We're heading towards the location of our first battle with Germany, so-"

"Aw, SHUT UP MUSTANG!"

Ed's eyes widened as a siren went off in his head and Al's mouth fell agape before he shook his head and elbowed Ed in the gut. "What's the matter with you, Nii-san? You know that it's not-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know that, Al." Ed rubbed the back of his head, avoiding the quizzical stare the General was giving him at the moment. "It's just an impulse." Turning his back to both Al and the Mustang look-alike he folded his arms and glared down at the snow of all things. _'This isn't getting us anywhere, and what does he mean by first battle with Germany? Sure tensions are heavy between the two countries, but right now? Nothing has been officially declared and besides…_

_WHAT IS THAT FUCKING SMELL?!' _

Before Mustang could question the temperamental boy on just who he was referring to he spun around and stomped over towards him, but not before kicking a pile of snow that was just innocently minding its own business. Just as the flakes were resettling back on the ground, a stray one, fluttering in the icy breeze, landed on the kid's shoulder triggering a strange sensation inside of him which was telling him to exploit this.

"Careful, _little man_. You wouldn't want that snowflake to crush you now."

Not surprising, at least to Al who sweat-dropped as Ed flushed beat red while actual steam started pouring from his ears. "SNOWFLAAAKEEE! What the hell?! WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SPECK OF DUST SO TINY THAT NOT EVEN A FLEA COULD SEE IT?!" He yelled while waving his arms dramatically as his voice once again caused more snow to fall from the cliff, this time missing Mustang's soldiers.

And so on and so forth.

Al twisted his head slightly, trying to keep his giggling under control though it seemed impossible with his hands bound. He had to admit it was very original. Of all the miniscule objects, seafood, insects and sprouts his brother had been compared to in the past, no one had ever measured him up to a snowflake.

Mustang let a small smirk grace his lips, it seems that he just found the boy's weakness. The fear of… emasculation? If that was even a condition. Oh yes, he was going to pry everything he could out of that brat and, what Mustang assumed was his little brother, judging by the his name for the _squirt_. Even if he had to be tied, gagged and drugged, the boy was coming.

"Not to worry, **half-pint**. Soon the war will be over in no time at all." He stated, returning to the previous conversation which had somehow gotten lost along the way.

Painfully close to blowing his top again, Ed paused when Mustang's sentence finally sunk in. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He already had his suspicions, but just to be sure…

A leer that Ed had already grown to despise crossed Mustang's features. "Well, it's not like you two will be going anywhere soon…" He paused, placing his thumb and index finger on his chin. "So I suppose, telling a naïve boy such as yourself would do any harm." He turned on his heel and began making his way up the same path while Ed quickened his pace to follow closely behind as did Al while the rest of Mustang's men also struggled to keep up with their superior's brisk pace.

After a few minutes of irritating silence, Mustang looked to the corner of his eye to the boy dutifully walking a bit behind him, his eyes narrowed as well as an intent gold stare pinning him, obviously wanting him to finish while his brother walked a few extra paces behind him. As for his soldiers, well, they were keeping their distance from the boys altogether. "Times are tough, aren't they, boy-"

"Get on with it!"

"Very well then." Mustang abruptly halted and turned to face them. "Thanks to a few of our stupendous spies, we were able to secure a weapon that has the potential to end things before the war even starts. Therefore, preventing any more casualties to our allies."

Just like that, every thought in Ed's mind came to a screeching halt, and promptly slammed into each other with only one thought surviving…

URANIUM BOMB!

"And…" Mustang continued, walking at a slow pace, finally reaching the summit of the hill that seemed more like an endless staircase. When Ed and Al finally caught up with him, they were not so glad to see several Soviet combat planes lining the runway on the icy field. "How would you two like to be the first ones, other than myself, to witness this?" He asked, not so much as batting an eye at the Elrics as he casually walked over to one plane in particular. Reaching up with one hand he hooked his fingers around a lever and pulled down on it slightly making a quarter section of the plane pop open. Raising his other gloved hand he pulled the hatch up and out with a bit of difficulty as it was extremely heavy. Then he allowed it to fall to the side, making a hollow clang on the frozen ground.

Ed's eyes widened beyond normal capacity and he could have sworn that his jaw hit the ground. It wasn't completely visible as it was already loaded into one of their combat planes, but he knew the bomb's length was approximately three meters in length and 0.7 meters in diameter. This was unmistakably it, even with a few stray wires hanging on the outside. It was certainly a prototype, judging by the smell. Someone must have screwed around with the compound a bit too much or simply overdid the quantities.

The bomb itself was harmless, it was the main ingredient that made it so destructive: Uranium 235, a very hard, heavy, silvery, radioactive, chemical element commonly used in work with atomic energy, nuclear material and had the energy equivalent to about 12.5 tons of TNT, give or take a gram. Maximum temperature at burst point: several million degrees centigrade. A fireball could potentially expand to a fifteen meter radius in 0.1 millisecond with a temperature of 300,000 degrees centigrade, and expand to its maximum size in one more second. According to a chemical technician, the top of an atomic cloud reached an altitude of 17,000 meters.

The subjects of chemistry and physics, the stand-in for alchemy in this world.

Ed shook is head a few times, trying to dial down his scientific frame of mind for a moment. Still, his past research and prying into information on the bomb proved to be useful. It was lethal as it was fascinating to him, even though the path of destruction made his stomach sink lower than his feet. Even if the blast radius didn't kill enough, radioactive debris was deposited by 'black rain' and would fall heavily for over an hour in a wide area. Intense thermal heat emitted by the fireball could potentially cause severe burns, loss of eyesight and thermal burns of bare skin could occur as far as 3.5 kilometres from ground zero (directly below the burst point). People exposed to thermal rays within a one kilometre radius of ground zero would most likely die due to literally melting.

Damn these people, if even a handful of scientists know about it, why don't they try to stop it?

As the initial shock faded, he shifted his eyes towards Al who was likewise, wearing the same mortified expression. "I-it can't be, are you seeing this too, Al?"

Al nodded stiffly. "Yeah, I do, Nii-san… we finally found it."

Of course, there was still alternate Mustang and the rest of his battalion to deal with first.

"How and WHEN did you find this thing?" Ed asked, still wondering whether or not his eyes were a couple of fractious liars.

"I told you, a few of our elite spies picked it up." Mustang stated, his eyes lingering on the machinery, which to him was a gift from god. "The Nazis were careless… their foolish leader only desired more power, and our spies told us that they somehow opened a gate to another dimension." He stated in a tone that clearly spelled out that he had a hard time believing the tale to be true. "How about you? You two came from Germany, have you gotten wind of this?" His eyes searched both Elrics in tandem, awaiting an answer.

_'Nice try…'_ Ed thought to himself crossly. _'But my old man was the reason the gate got opened in the first place. Funny how stories find a way of twisting themselves around to favour another.' _Then he frowned. It seemed Eckart's path of conquest didn't go as discreetly as she had probably hoped. Ed sneered, as if that equally foolish woman cared about the repercussions, all she wanted was power, now she was long dead and didn't have to deal with the consequences of what other nations would do. His eyes got sight of Mustang's suspicious orbs that were now focused solely on him. Better say something, or anything. "Haven't the slightest clue on what your talking about." He shrugged, evening out his features. "There's no such thing as another dimension."

Mustang raised an eyebrow well into his hairline. Just how stupid did this kid think he was? "Don't act like you know nothing. There are rumours of this 'Shamballa' working its way through central and eastern Europe and along the Soviet borderline."

"What does it matter anyway?" Ed muttered, shifting his weight to one foot then back. "Germany didn't benefit from anything, so why the obsession?"

"We need the firepower." Mustang explained, surprising Ed. "Aren't you aware, kid? While this country hasn't seen any frontal assaults, our allies have…" He was sure his gaze was intense for the younger one shifted his eyes and tilted his head away from him. He even had the bratty one's full attention. He felt his heart begin to beat hard against his chest as the message he had just received before these two boys arrived replayed in his head. Britain had been hit hard, by yet another air raid. This would be the first big war he would take part in, and he was still feeling emotionally attached to each atrocity that he would be informed of. His own superior had told him it would fade, and once he got his hands dirty in the war, that would be what left him just as desensitized as the others.

Or what they would see all in good time, he was certain.

Ed blinked a few times, then tried to shake off Mustang's intimidating and unsettling expression. "So Britain is in trouble?" He asked, thinking of two certain people he feared the most for at the moment.

"They haven't been beaten, just caught off guard. Due to the great height of the Zeppelins during the attack, and because the gun and searchlight positions were ordered to remain covered, the attack was known as the 'Silent Raid.' Five airships were destroyed which was the biggest disaster suffered by the German Naval Airship."

"So, Britain was victorious then?" Ed asked, not at all liking where the conversation was leading in terms of who won which pointless war.

"Not quite. Britain is no longer impregnable because of the sea. It is now vulnerable by air. Not only are front line troops at risk, but also the ordinary man in the streets, and should Britain ever be forced into war again, then a new and more deadly war will be waged from the air with vast fleets of bombers pounding the towns and cities, killing thousands of civilians…" He narrowed his obsidian eyes menacingly, his mouth curled into a frown as he seemed to be recalling something. "But it's certainly far from the first time Britain has been plagued by air raids." His voice tinged with slight hostility.

"Gracia-san… Hughes-sama…" Al whispered hoarsely.

Ed turned to him, giving him the best grin he could muster. "Keep a good mind, Al."

"And now…" Mustang continued. "Now the Nazis have divided up their forces and are marching this way as we speak." At this, Ed froze. "But we're ready for them, and will bring the war up here if we have to, in order to stop them." He motioned towards the flat from which they came, where all their military equipment was located and combat vehicles parked.

Then it hit Ed like a ton of bricks and his eyes went impossibly wide. "You're planning to use the bomb to wipe Germany off the globe?!" From behind him, he heard Al's breath hitch in his throat and almost choke.

"Astute observation." Mustang turned his head, looking down at Al for a moment, before returning his gaze back to Ed. The look the younger of the two was giving him was odd. It was almost… disappointment? Whatever it was, it made him uncomfortable. "How else does one end a war? There is no other option then to create unrefutable proof that there will be no more uprisings like these.

Ed would have snorted but his mood was completely drawn to a blank. At the moment he wanted to berate himself for not catching on sooner. "What the hell gives you the right to decide who lives and who dies?" He asked, unknowingly portraying himself as a hypocrite. "So what if you have some all powerful weaponry? It doesn't mean that you can go unleashing it on anyone, you know!" He took a few heavy steps forward. This wasn't right, not just the destruction, but it was the words coming out of his mouth. He wasn't Roy Mustang, but hearing such blunt, crude words was somehow… unsettling.

Mustang reached into his pocket, feeling around. "You are aware that other nations will probably be building weaponry similar to this, right?" His eyes gleamed as his hand ran over the surface of what he was searching for. "So why not put an end to it now? If the enemy-"

"Tell me. Who _exactly_ is considered the 'enemy' in a war like this?" Ed arrived mere inches in front of him, golden eyes narrowed menacingly as he glared up at him. He had the overwhelming impulse to want to cross his arms, but, well, his hands were still tied. "Do you realize how many civilian casualties -no not casualties- DEATHS! Don't you give a damn about how many innocent people's lives will be lost… y-you COLD-HEARTED BASTARD!" As much as he despised (or so he told himself) the Mustang in his world, there was one thing that Ed knew he wasn't, it was a war monger. So maybe if he pushed on that possible link between the two…

Brushing past him, Ed headed point blank towards the hole in the combat plane where the bomb was situated as the rest of Mustang's soldiers either pulled out their rifles or awaited the General's orders while staring at Ed for the longest time, wondering what the hell was going through that idiot's mind. Meanwhile, Al answered his own silent question from earlier, concluding to himself that his brother's plan was indeed rash and somewhat suicidal. "If you don't get rid of this thing now…" With some difficulty, he raised his bound hands enough to grip the exterior wires on the bomb.

Immediately, a few soldiers leapt forward, but Mustang held up his hand once more so they backed off, though a bit more hesitant. Lowering his hands, thinking that he finally just scored the upper hand, Ed let out a sigh as well as a partial victory grin. What he didn't plan on was hearing a loading click right next to his eardrum and an icy barrel being pressed flush against the side of his head again. He heard his brother cry out so he threw him a look, telling him to sit tight.

"That would have been foolish on your part. There are several wires exposed and only the breakage of one will turn the bomb into a dud, while a few others could make it blow up instantaneously. Tell me, do you know which wire it is?" Ed glowered up at him, obviously having no real clue other than taking a random guess. "I didn't think so." In one swift motion, he grabbed Ed by the collar and roughly shoved him into Al who was quick to break his fall.

"Look, dipshit…" Ed pushed himself back up so he was sitting in front of Al. "How would you feel if someone came to you one day and told you that a family member or friend had been killed on the battlefield or even for just participating in the war effort?"

"I won't have to worry about that." He stated in an odd tone. "I don't have anyone to look out for. The only thing that matters is that we are successful in this war. The Nazis are systematically trying to strangle Britain into submission by targeting industrial cities, munitions factories, army camps, as well as bombing supply ships. Still think we're in the wrong?"

"You're talking about the devastation of an entire population!"

Mustang's profile remained unfazed. "If it means that we're victorious, we'll do whatever it takes."

Strangely, Ed's eyes dulled to a rusted gold as the fleeting memory of a precious old friend resurfaced in his mind as well as other morbid memories. "Then maybe when a lone child half-dead from starvation comes crawling to your doorstep begging you to tell them where their parents are… then maybe you'll understand…" He whispered so darkly and bitterly it sounded foreign to him. Al hung his head, remembering the same type of atrocities they had witnessed back in Shamballa.

Mustang's mouth fell open and his grip around the pistol loosened, but not so much as to drop it. His arm fell to his side as a few images flashed through his mind. He had been involved in minor battles with neighbouring countries for control over where the borderlines should be situated, and he had seen some gloomy and disgustingly graphic sights, but… never a child. Being forced to kill with weaponry was one thing, but even the thought of unleashing such a powerful weapon was frightening as it was unknown. Like opening a Pandora's box…

The area fell into a pristine silence as an icy gust filled the summit, numbing each occupant to the bone, but not even the soldiers were crazy enough to intervene.

Light shuffling caused Ed to slowly lift his head as his eyes widened seeing Mustang pointing the gun towards him, though his features betrayed his true intent. Time seemed to stand still as he slowly moved the direction the barrel was targeting until it was it was facing point blank at the bomb, still exposed in the missile duct of the plane, while keeping his eyes firmly set on the Elrics.

… when the obvious finally caught up with Ed.

"ARE YOU INSANE, YOU LUNATIC?! THAT THING IS HIGHLY REACTIVE AND THE SLIGHTEST SPARK COULD BLOW US ALL TO VALHALLA!"

Then the sickening sound of a bullet discharge echoed throughout the empty area as Ed, Al and even the soldiers dove head first into the snow, covering the back of their heads while Mustang remained motionless. A moment or so passed before Ed finally loosed his grip on his own head and cautiously lifted his face out of the snow to confirm that the world, or at least the area was still intact. On top of that, there was Mustang, smirking like an egotistic moron.

He just thinks he's _so_ cunning.

Sitting up on his knees, Ed's eyes wandered over towards the bomb, staring at it disbelievingly as a plain yellow wire was severed in half as the others escaped perfectly unscathed and in mint condition.

Oh, of all the dumb luck, once in a lifetime, unlikely odds of probability…

He heard Al chuckle from his side. "Well, looks like Mus- er, look alike- has shown you up again, huh Nii-san?"

"Shut it, Al."

Before either brothers realized it, Mustang was standing above them, still wearing that damned smirk. Crouching down to their level he reached into the pouch looped onto his belt and pulled out a small knife. Ed watched him carefully as he moved behind him and in one fluid motion, cut the ropes around his wrist.

Ed brought his wrists in front of his face, grimacing at the rope burns and small cuts they had left before flexing them in small circles, stretching out the tendons. "It seems we have come to an understanding." He heard Mustang say.

An evil glint took over Ed's eyes as he reached into the sleeve of his jacket and pulled out an equally small razor. "Gee, it's been wonderful chatting and all, but we really should be heading back." The flare in his eyes grew to the point that it looked like he was inaudibly cackling as he cut Al's restraints while he just grinned up at his older brother knowingly.

Mustang certainly hadn't seen this coming. "What the-"

"Oh, come on! You honestly think you could have kept us here if we really didn't want to stay? See ya around… well, hopefully not!" Ed shouted over his shoulder as the two boys tore down the hill.

The Sergeant quickly came to the General's side, following his gaze towards the retreating boys. "(Don't worry, sir. We'll catch those boys and teach them a lesson)." He picked up his rifle and took a few steps in pursuit until a sigh from his superior halted his movements.

"(Let them go, Sergeant)."

To the poor Sergeant, it felt as if his collar was one size too small and wanted to pull at it in nervousness, but restrained himself from the act. He had never seen this look on his superior's face before. It was a bit unsettling, even if he didn't lead on that way. Those two boys, or better yet the snippy blonde had awoken some morbid memories for him, that was for sure. Still, they couldn't let the boys off the hook. "(But, General. They've been exposed to a top secret military project, and protocol says that they are to be executed on the spot or remain with us at all times until our emperor decides a more fitting punishment for them)."

Mustang turned his menacing stare on the soldier, shutting him up immediately. "(Are you questioning the orders of your superior, _Sergeant_? I _said_ let them go)."

The Sergeant sighed, turning his attention to the boys' forms which were just reaching the bottom of the hill and almost out of sight. "(Very well, sir)." He complied, finally giving in. At the moment he couldn't distinguish whether or not his superior was having a large-scale problem with illicit drug use.

* * *

"My goodness, are you boys alright?" 

Trisha regarded the two boys in front of her, metallic eyes smouldering with worry. Ed's bangs and a few other parts of his hair were frozen solid and a small stream of blood had dried over the entire right side of his face. Al laughed a bit sheepishly, unconsciously tugging on his grey jacket causing some icicles that somehow ended up inside his shirt to slide out and break on the wooden floor. They looked like they had either fallen in about a dozen snow banks or they were out making snow angels.

Well, maybe not snow angels.

She placed the dish she had been polishing and washcloth aside. "Better get the medical supplies… again." She gave them a smile while smoothing out her dress before going to do just that.

"And the ailments!" Al called, pointing to the gradually infecting laceration across Ed's forehead.

Making their way over to the couch both boys collapsed, completely drained, though Ed still had enough energy to notice that the place was strangely sparse-looking, but not enough to let his mind linger on it. He glanced to his left to see that Al's eyes were glazed over and troubled.

"What's on your mind, Al?"

He sighed and turned his head slightly to face him. "I was just thinking about what the Russian Mustang said, with the war and all that's going on… what will happen to Trisha?"

Ed stiffened. Of course he hadn't forgotten about her. She was so kind to them, even though _he _hadn't even told her his name yet, for obvious reasons, but she never brought it up once. Maybe she understood the underlying clause, just not the whole truth.

Al looked up at his brother tonguing his cheek deep in thought. "And there will definitely be a war, Nii-san…" He stated quietly. "And it might come here… near Trisha-san. She won't be safe and she might even get caught in the middle of it and…" He just couldn't bring himself to utter the last few words.

Before Ed could even register what he was doing, despite the throbbing pain in his muscles he stood and began walking towards the door where Trisha was just re-entering with her medical kit. He wasn't sure why he did it, maybe it was because she wore the face of one of many who seem to haunt his dreams, or maybe even the soul of his alter was having a supernatural effect on him. "Trisha…" He finally managed to say her name, which startled her. "You and I both know that the war is going to get worse from here out. I know it's difficult for you, but please come with Al and I so we can take you some place safe… or _safer _at least."

Trisha remained anchored to the spot as she quietly listened, staring into those eyes she remembered so well while the same things floated through her mind. After a minute she nodded in understanding before turning towards the kitchen again to grab some ointment for their cuts.

Al's eyes followed his brother as he came back to sit beside him. For some reason he wasn't surprised at Ed's action, until a problem arose in his mind. "But where can we take her?"

A light smile tugged at the corner of Ed's mouth as his features softened. "We'll have to make a _long_ trip out of our way, but I know someone who would be more than willing to take her in…"

The next morning, Al helped Trisha carry out her suitcase with a few belongings she couldn't part with while Ed had his own suitcase and Trisha carried a single wicker basket filled with sandwiches, juice and a homemade cake for them. Al was ecstatic when Ed told him where they were going to take Trisha, but it required them to return to Germany which brought up one problem.

How?

"I could always steal one of the Russian Mustang's planes and fly us there." Ed offered, acting like it was flawless.

Al waved his arms rapidly and shuddered. "Oh yeah, and we all saw so clearly what a _good _flyer you are when you nearly crashed into Winry-chan, Scieszka-sama, and I."

Ed halted, glaring over at him. "It wasn't MY fault! You guys shouldn't have been standing out in the open like that. There was a WAR going on after all."

Al tightened his grip around the suitcase handle. "AND another thing… wait, where's Trisha-san?"

They both froze when they realized they had lost track of her, but relaxed when they saw her talking in Russian to an elderly man with an export vehicle filled with crops. Which was already weird to them. They watched as the squinting old man smiled up at her, nodding every so often to her words until he turned and climbed into the driver's side and Trisha walked over to them.

"That was Mr. Tarasov, an old friend of mine." She explained. "He delivers livestock and produce to neighbouring countries the old-fashioned way that include some near Germany this time, and he's willing to give us a ride if you don't mind the long trip." Ed and Al exchanged a look before nodding. After all, what other options did they have?

* * *

Ed had his hands dug deeply inside the pockets of his overcoat as his eyes scanned the area, trying to figure out some way to gain safe passage to Britain. They were at another small port city close to the border, but as expected, the soldiers held a tight security here as well. "Is everything alright?" A soft voice he had already grown to adore asked from behind him. 

Turning to face her, he noticed that when the sunlight hit Trisha's eyes in a certain way they would shimmer a soft green, just like their mom's, and even Sloth's.

Sloth… at first he thought that the sin of 'sloth' being symbolized by water was ridiculous. Then again, there were qualities of which their mother had possessed that could've been symbolized by water. Her strides were as graceful like the gentle, rolling waves and she radiated like the setting sun's reflection off the surface. Yet water could be merciless on those nights when a fierce storm would set in and waters' once calm demeanour would change on the flip of a coin and turn to dismal and murky. Perhaps that stood for the grief and possible anger hidden within their mom's mind as a result of their father's departure followed by the death of her best friend and her husband. Then come daybreak, the turbulence would disappear and be concealed once again by waters' deceitful appearance.

In that particular case, their mother's beautiful and warm smile. That was probably what was most unsettling about that homunculus, but that's just what she was.

**"Nii-san!"**

Al's call brought him out of his thoughts and he turned just to see him arrive a few feet in front of him, bent over with his palms bracing his knees as he caught his breath. "What is it, Al?"

He lifted his head up and pointed to the direction from which he came. "You'll never believe who I found down at the docks and says he'll help us get to Britain." Ed raised his eyebrow as he followed behind Al down the alleyway with Trisha close in tow.

It was him again, whatever you want to call him. That Jase character, or Greed's drunk alter. Depending on how one perceived him. Except he was sober at least, judging by the way he greeted them like a civilized human being. "So how have things been going with you?" Ed asked, slightly interested for once. "Find any good work lately?"

Jase grinned and pointed to himself. "Not really, I'm still tracking down that Loch Ness monster you showed me."

Well, so much for interesting.

Al's face contorted in amusement before turning to Ed. "Nii-san, you better set that guy straight." He chuckled.

Ed grinned. "Ah, let him believe it. He doesn't need to know that it was just Envy, not that he would know what that meant." Al chuckled again and Ed gave him a questioning look. "What's so funny?"

Al waved his arms around. "Oh, nothing at all, Nii-san." Well for starters, no one had ever referred to the diabolic homunculus as 'just Envy.' Usually when his name was spoken one would think that it was followed by running and screaming, be the topic for those scary stories you would tell around a campfire and the monster that would appear in little kid's nightmares.

Yup, that seems just about right.

Ed turned to Jase who was giving Trisha a funny look, as if trying to place her face. "So, did you tell Al that you could help us?"

He tore his gaze away from Trisha, feeling a swell of guilt well up in his gut. "Yeah, I know a travelling merchant who just came back into town recently. His next jaunt -so to speak- is to Britain, and I'm sure he'd like to help ya guys out. He hates this whole war thing just as much as us."

Ed narrowed his eyes, though there was more worry in his expression. "Alright, but shouldn't I go with you?"

Al gave his brother a quizzical look. "What's wrong, Nii-san?"

Jase waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, it's not like I'll be a lone Soviet man begging for passage. I've got connections, you see." With that he turned on his heal and disappeared around a bend before Ed could protest further.

* * *

"Have you seen, uh what was that man's name, Jase was it?" 

Ed snapped out of his train of thought and tilted his head towards Trisha. "Yeah and no; he still hasn't returned."

Al glanced past the two and straightened seeing a familiar face rounding the corner. "Wait, here he comes now… Jase! Over here!"

Jase weaved his way over to them, careful not to be seen by the passing soldiers. "Hoo! Things with the military sure are heating up around here, you'd better be careful."

Ed nodded. "How are things on your end?"

Jase grinned. "Everything's set. All you need to do is sneak down to the harbour. You'll be met there by a man with a dusty cloak. He'll take you directly to where you need to go. He's a merchant you can trust. I've explained your situation to him, and he's willing to help. If you can reach his ship without being spotted, he'll take care of everything and deliver you to the southernmost port of Great Britain. From there, you're on your own."

Al adjusted his grip on Trisha's suitcase as he had the feeling that running would be involved. "Jase, aren't you coming too?"

Jase's mouth upturned into a frown. "I was planning on it, to get away from all these military laws and crap, but… I'll stay behind and see what's going on."

"So you would rather get beaten to a bloodied pulp then defend yourself?" Ed crossed his arms over his chest.

Jase knitted his brows together in slight irritation. "Ah, Ed. What would you have me do? Germany and the Soviet Union have signed a treaty stating that neither side will attack. We know it won't stand, but why should it be my side that strikes first?"

"Well, I'm not on either side, so it doesn't apply to me."

"Ed! If they see me with you, they'll think we're allies. If you strike it wouldn't be any different if I hurt these soldiers."

"And it will only lead to more bad blood." They heard Trisha add in the background.

Ed let out a frustrated sigh. "So basically what you're saying is that we should sneak to the port unnoticed by the German soldiers and leave the town's militia alone while you act as a distraction?"

Jase's mouth twisted into a smile. "Exactly."

"Fine, but if things get out of hand, heads will roll." Ed called over his shoulder as he grabbed both Al and Trisha by the arms, pulling them towards the harbour at an mind boggling pace.

Jase's eyes widened, though more pissed off that he didn't get in the last word. "Wait, Ed! Now that's not gonna do us any good." He crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for them to meet up with the sailor, paying no mind to the few soldiers coming his way. That was until he saw them board before turning to the soldiers, grinning rather maniacally. "Alright, time to play cat and mouse will these guys and hightail it back to Geoff's place." He stated out loud before charging at the soldiers, practically running them over as he leaped over the fence and moved to get as far away from the town as possible while successfully avoiding the poorly aimed gunshots from the dazed soldiers on the ground who were still trying to untangle themselves.

* * *

Ed stood with his arms loosely folded and his right foot crossed over the other as he regarded his brother from around a corner, careful not to disturb him. Ed kept his eyes tightly closed as he raised his left hand placing his agile fingers on either side of his temple. But no matter how much he gently rubbed the throbbing ache it seemed there was nothing he could do to relieve the tension within. 

Or better yet the tension which seemed to almost be permeating from Al's presence. His little brother was leaning over the rail of the small ship with his arms folded underneath his chin as he gazed solemnly downwards into infinite blue waters. Golden-coloured eyes opened as he dropped both of his hands to his sides and carefully and quietly walked up behind his brother, smiling weakly at the back of Al's head as if he could see him.

He was homesick again.

Coming up beside his brother, Ed gripped onto the iron balcony and pulled himself down while folding his arms underneath his chin, copying his exact posture "Hey, Al. What's up?" He asked casually, flashing him a wide grin.

Al turned his head slightly, but his eyes continued the rest of the movement in order to acknowledge him. "I'm fine, Nii-san. How 'bout you?"

Ed's fake grin widened even more. "I'm doing just great!" He replied a bit too enthusiastically. The charade soon fell from his face as Al turned his back to the passing waves. "Are you sure, Al?" His tone was serious and more intent this time.

Al let go of the sandy locks as he sighed leaning his head backwards so he was looking up at he sky and not the ocean, which was starting to make him a bit nauseous. He closed his eyes setting the back of his palm on her forehead hoping to will away the sick feeling of loneliness in his stomach. He had to get on with his life no matter what the cost. Besides, he still had his older brother whom he simply adored, not that he'll ever tell him that. "I'm sure, Nii-san." He whispered softly, more to himself than his brother's sake, already assuming that he wouldn't buy it.

Ed just watched as a single tear fell down his cheek. Despite that his brother was extremely kind-hearted and a bit too sensitive, he rarely cried. His silver eyes, almost icy at the worst of times, were filled with quiet strength just waiting to spring forth in a few years. He hadn't grieved like this since their mother's passing. Of course, that was because he had been a soul trapped in a suit of armour for so many years, unable to feel emotions full on. Instead he stayed in the background, living through perpetual silence as he watched time move forward without him. As seasons came and went as did his memories the longer he was separated from his body and could do nothing to prevent it.

Regardless, he'd come into himself one day, and Ed would push him towards that goal harder than anyone else he had ever tried moving forward.

"Nii-san… do you still think about Resembool, and W-Winry?" He choked out the last part.

Oi… not this again.

Ed let out a sigh of defeat, knowing there was no way to escape this conversation. He never could before, so why would it start now? "Sure I do. I'm also positive that everyone's doing just fine." He tried making it as quick as possible. They did have bigger problems to tangle with at the time after all.

Liar. Al frowned, it's not like Ed _knew _that he _knew _about his 'Winry zone' nights, which had steadily become less as of late. But they had not dissipated entirely. It was close to Autumn now, he couldn't believe that it had almost been two years since his own arrival on Earth, but time doesn't lie. The days were also becoming much colder, though after being in Russia for almost a month it felt like they were in the middle of a pineapple express. Al found himself naturally wondering if Winry, Auntie Pinako and Den were keeping warm and had plenty of firewood… well, he was sure that Armstrong would take care of that for them.

A silver glint caught Al's eye so he glanced over to see what was shining so brilliantly. "I thought you lost that." He stated, nodding towards Ed's pocket watch. When he brought it out and why, Al couldn't begin to fathom.

"No, but I don't keep it clipped to my belt anymore. After all, I'm not a state alchemist anymore." Ed stated, flipping open the lid, not missing the fact that Al smiled slightly at the last part. "Besides, the clock is broken. Probably got damaged from hitting the ground so much. I'm surprised it lasted this long." Ed chuckled slightly, remembering the many times he was unceremoniously thrown against walls and whatnot in his younger years.

"So, why do you still have it?" Al asked, partially noticing some writing etched into the inside of the lid, but before he could get a better look Ed snapped it closed.

"I'd rather not say…" Ed's eyebrows creased as he replaced it back into the pocket of his slacks. As Al opened his mouth to pry as usual, Ed quickly pushed himself off the rail and stretched his arms. "What do you say we go find Trisha and raid her basket? I bet she has a ton of food for us." He laughed as he grabbed Al by the sleeve and started pulling him in the direction he had seen Trisha go earlier, effectively cutting off anything Al had wanted to say.

* * *

Ed took one step onto the fairly recently made wooden pier that stretched far out of the immediate cove and a little way beyond into much deeper water so that the larger boats could still moor at the very edge. He took another step, and scanned the vicinity around him before motioning for Al and Trisha to follow him. It was around midnight, but an intense glare blinded Ed as they made there way towards a few small shops bordering the land side of the docks. He could see retro jeeps and boats beside the pier, and two watchtowers to either side of it that were responsible for the intense light. 

Al and Trisha stood to one side as Ed approached a man wearing what looked to be a policeman's uniform who was watching over some workers loading wooden crates into the cargo hold of one of the aging ships. Al raised an eyebrow when it became apparent that he was asking for directions. Since when did Ed ask for directions? Something the man said to Ed made him grin as he turned around and headed back towards them.

"What was that all about?" Al asked.

A mischievous glint took over Ed's eyes as he turned around and started towards a back alley. "You'll see soon enough, Al." He stated as Al and Trisha followed closely behind.

"Oh, Ed, Al! How wonderful it is to see you two again."

Gracia smiled cheerfully at them as Ed grinned while rubbing the back of his head and Al bowed slightly. "And it seems you've brought a new friend." She stated motioning towards Trisha who was standing a bit behind Ed. "Very nice to meet you, my name is Gracia Hughes." She extended her hand towards Trisha.

Trisha brightly smiled in return before accepting the gesture. "The pleasure's all mine. It's Trisha by the way."

Ed turned to Gracia, placing his hands on his hips. "Hughes?" He inquired with a sly little grin.

Gracia nodded and smiled. "Yes, it's true. Maes and I got married."

Al of course beamed. "That's great, Gracia-san! I'm so happy for you! By the way…" Al's face calmed as he looked around Gracia. "Where's Hughes-sama?"

"Do I hear VIP guests?" As if one cue, Hughes came to the door placing a kiss on his new wife's cheek causing Al to blush like crazy and Ed to roll his eyes. "Hey Ed, Al, you guys made it, and you've brought a pretty lady with you." He stated walking over to them and pulling them both into a simultaneous embrace.

"Uh, yeah…" Ed pulled Hughes's arm off of him and straightened his collar. "That's why we're here." He glanced quickly to the side at Trisha to see if she had anything to add, taking her weak smile as a no, he turned his attention back to Hughes and launched into the story and his request.

Hughes listened intently to his plight until he finished, before grinning and placing a hand on Ed's shoulder to put him at ease. "Of course she can stay here with us. The more the merrier I say." He stated while he placed his other hand on Al's shoulder and pulled them inside while Gracia engaged Trisha in a conversation.

"Excuse the mess, but Gracia is a bit pretentious about her flowers and insists on having them in the house." Hughes lightly chuckled earning himself a glare from his wife.

"Gracia owns a flower shop here too?" Al asked.

"Yup, not much has changed. I'm still an officer as well." Hughes stated, pulling the suitcases out of Ed and Al's hands and placed them next to the staircase to the second level while Gracia took Trisha's picnic basket for her. "I got a job as an officer here too. Can't ignore a man with an excellent track record."

Ed smirked. "I figured you would. An officer down at the pier told me where I could find you."

Al glanced over at his brother. _'So that's what he was up to…'_

"Feel free to stay as long as you'd like." Gracia spoke up. "We're doing fairly well, so don't worry about the expenses. Just as a heads up, don't be surprised if a girl shows up later tonight. She's been living with us for a few weeks now." She followed Hughes as he went to sit in a lounge chair near the fireplace and rested on the arm of it.

"You guys are looking after someone else?" Al asked, as he and Trisha sat down in the couch across from them while Ed remained in the doorway looking around.

"Yeah, her and one other. They share the room at the end of the hallway upstairs." Hughes added, then glanced over at Ed giving him a cheeky grin. "Actually, she's about your age, Ed. I bet you'd like her, she's spunky like you and quite adorable too." He laughed as Ed scowled while a faint blush materialized on his face. "Well, you three are probably tired, you should head up to bed. We'll catch up tomorrow." Hughes went over to grab their bags as Gracia stood.

"Come, I'll show you three to your rooms." She offered as they followed her to the second level.

* * *

Ed sighed while unpacking his belongings. It was already a long day and the fact that Hughes wanted them to stay awhile wasn't helping. His ears picked up on the soft clicking sound from a woman's heals gradually coming closer to his door, but he didn't pay it any mind, figuring that it was just Gracia coming back to see if he needed anything… 

"Miss. Gracia? Mr. Hughes? Are you in here…?"

Ed looked up at the sound of the familiar, melodic voice that made his very soul feel at peace. Like every burden he ever carried had been washed away. A delicate hand gently grasped the brass doorknob to the room he was currently occupying, pushing it open as it had only been partially closed before. Then a young woman emerged, carrying a small bag in one hand and a box precariously balanced in the crook of her other arm.

_No, more like an angel._

"Anyone?" She called a little louder, setting the purse on the floor as her eyes scanned the room until they fell on Ed, who looked about ready to keel over.

"… Winry?"

Those blue eyes seemed duller on this girl then he remembered them being on the girl he once knew for so long. Her eyes narrowed for a sliver of a second before widening as recognition crossed her always so pretty face. "Ed… ward?"

Damn, not this again. Someone else who knew his alter, and now _he _was having to pay for it. Now as expected she would probably…

Yup, she was backing away from him, almost dropping the box in the process, purse completely forgotten on the floor. Yet for some reason his heartbeat began to pound _hard_ against his ribcage as she turned away from him. Her eyes showed fear; fear towards him. An image he never _ever _wanted to see in that particular shade of blue.

It was always her eyes with him, those bottomless sapphire orbs that seemed to reach just as deep as the ocean itself. Eye colour could be explained by science, but why her eyes in particular were so rich, pure and seemed to hold the answers to anything he had ever wanted to know… he would never understand that.

Blinking once, he saw a silhouette of her form disappear around the doorframe. "Uh… wait!" Ed called out as he followed her steps to the doorway, only to find that she was already gone. Leaning heavily against the frame, his golden eyes became distant as he stared down the hallway at nothing in particular. Despite the fact that he was inside, he felt a dark chilly wind brush past as he tilted his head towards the ceiling wondering why his heart hurt so much.

At that moment, Al came around the corner from the other side of the corridor and headed towards him. "Nii-san, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly, watching as Ed's eyes gradually came back into focus.

Ed weakly smiled at him while shaking his head. "It's nothing, Al."

While all Al could do was puzzle over his brother's eerily serene, almost spiritual expression, Ed gazed up towards the ceiling once more. Well, through it towards the unknown spectator who seemed to enjoy creating infinite obstacles in his life.

_'What more can you do to me?'_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** If I could own one thing in FMA it would have to be Ed's pocket watch. Yes, just the watch, not him attached or anything. So shiny… precious. 

**Belle:** Good grief.

**Salina:** By the way, I should've done this last chapter, so here goes…

"(…)" Means that's the translation of a different language being spoken. This is an English story after all, so I can't go buck wild with the languages now can I?

One last thing before I let you guys go. I major in chemistry and physics so that's why I had all that junk about the bomb memorized… yup, that's all.


End file.
